The Viking and the Valkyrie
by ElfChef
Summary: The story picks up seconds after "Dead in the Family" It provides both Eric's and Sookie's POV. It provides my view on the heart and mind of everyone's favorite viking. They are faced with a deadly threat. You can expect action suspense & lemons..
1. Chapter 1 to Chapter 8

**Eric**

**Chapter One**

**First Free Flight of the Viking**

I shot through the night air moving faster than ever before. My entire being was humming and buzzing with the euphoria of fairy blood. It felt as though I was aware of everything and everything was aware of me. Countless times I had taken flight but never like this. Even without the fairy blood, I knew this particular flight had more significance. It was perfectly emblematic of the freedom I gained a few moments ago. Appius Livius Ocella has met his final death in the front yard of my lover at the hands of a fairy. The life of his other child, my brother Alexei Tsarevitch was ended at my own hands. Despite this unmitigated feeling of freedom coursing through me, there was a small hallowing feeling in my chest.

Ocella had come with the intent to make me return to him; to help him care for Alexei. The boy was damaged. No amount of care could mitigate the deterioration of his mind, and the destruction it had caused. Ocella would not accept this. He had refused to do what needed to be done, and in clinging to his denial, he had sanctioned all our final deaths. My maker had caused me pain for many decades, and he had come back to cause me more. Leaving with him would have meant living without Sookie. The pain that thought caused me was unfathomable. The fate she would suffer in my absence at the hands of Victor or DeCastro would be worse than death for her.

Mostly I would have never been able to live with the torment, knowing that I had broken every promise I had made her, and the promise I made to myself that I would never hurt her. No. The pain at the mere thought of hurting my Sookie was far greater and more genuine than what I felt now. What I felt now was no more than a physiological reaction to losing a blood bond that had survived over 1000 years. The emotional connection was not profound, so the pain was easily inconsequential. I smiled as I soared through the night to my child. I was free.

When I arrived at my home in Shreveport, it still reeked of blood, death, and ash. As I opened the door, I heard Pam say, "No. It is alright, panther. It is Eric. Just Eric." I saw Jason shifting out of a defensive position in front of Pam. He was still a bit pale, and he looked as though he was exerting a great deal of effort as he sat on the floor. That courage must be hereditary. The room looked just as I had left it. It was surprising that such a young and physically unimposing vampire did this. Alexei killed a human that was being defended by four vampires. He killed one and incapacitated three, all of whom were older than himself. I did not know how Ocella had managed him alone for so long.

Pam was lying on the sofa with a bottle of blood in her hand. The damages I had sustained were serious, but as Pam's were greater and she was much younger, they were taking longer to heal. I stood over her to assess her injuries, and then I sat in the nearest chair. I thought about her willingness to come and fight with me, even though she would have died, but now she would be well again in less than a half hour. Although I had never been fond of my lover's brother, he had earned my respect this evening. He offered himself to help Pam heal and looked ready to defend her.

"He is gone then," Pam asked me. "They both are," I responded. The pain in my chest wrenched a little at that admission. Pam's face turned to mine trying to read it. I presumed she was gauging my reaction to the losses. I nodded slightly at her. Then Jason spoke. "I know Sookie's alright, but where is my truck?" The first part of his question caught me off guard. "How do you know your sister is alright?" I asked out of sheer curiosity. He shrugged and replied, "She is always alright when she's with you, and I know that if she weren't you wouldn't be here."

I always thought this boy to be rather dim, but his words were precisely on target. Sookie was always safe with me. If she died, it was because I was already finally dead. This knowledge should have alarmed me, but it did not. It made me smile as I responded to her brother. "Your truck is still at your sister's home." He nodded weakly. I went into the fridge and retrieved some orange juice that I kept there for Sookie. "Drink," I ordered. He complied. We were quiet for some time. Pam went into downtime. Jason was empting the contents of the carton I had given him.

Then Pam spoke. "Jason I will bring you home." Jason nodded. "Pam, I may need to stay with you during the day if that is agreeable." I remembered the cleaning crew may need my day chamber. Although I had several places to stay during the day, I would be more comfortable in Pam's home. "Of course," she replied. Jason's phone rang again. It was the same obnoxious ring tone. He answered hesitantly. If this was a private conversation he was unlucky. There was no place for privacy in the house with two vampires.

"Michelle."

"Jason. Are you alright?" The voice of the woman on the other end sounded strained.

"I'm ok, hon. I gave Sookie my truck. I'm waiting for a ride. I'll be home real soon."

"If you are hurt, Jason Stackhouse, I'm going to kick your ass."

He laughed at the empty threat. "Sugar, I'll let you do that anytime you want."

I heard her laugh. "You promise you'll be here soon?" she asked him.

"I promise, Shelly."

"Ok."

"I'll see you soon." He hung up.

"So our time together meant nothing, huh?"

I knew just then that Pam was completely healed. Her face was the pinnacle of hurt feelings. I rolled my eyes. I was relieved to see she was well again. Jason laughed. "Yes, ma'am, it did, and I never want it to happen again." Pam smirked. She stood up. Her clothes were slashed in some places and soaked with blood. There was also blood in her hair and on her hands and face. She was a disaster. Not to say any of us looked anything less. "Oh come now, you mean to tell me that wasn't as good for you as it was for me?" She was openly grinning now. Jason stood too. He still looked a little weak, but some of his color had returned, and he seemed steadier on his feet. "Lady, that's exactly what I'm saying." He was smiling.

Pam rolled her eyes as she made her way into the bathroom. "I am in your debt for what you have done here tonight." He shook his head. "Think nothing of it."

That was surprising. Just then, Pam emerged from the bathroom. The blood from her hands, face and hair were gone but nothing could be done for the clothes. I could tell she was perturbed by her appearance. It was amusing. Jason swayed on his feet, and Pam caught him. "How come being around you is so bad for my health?" he asked. She actually laughed. She had her arm around himheav, supporting most of his weight, as they made their way to the door. If Pam were still heavily into men, Jason's woman would do well to be wary of her.

When they had gone, I went upstairs to shower. As usual, my mind wondered to my lover. She had fallen asleep soon after I left. Since then I had been beseeching every god I knew, praying that tonight's events would not awaken Sookie's night terrors. The thought brought me to the weeks following the Fae war. I would have given everything, done anything to save her from the scars Lochlan and Neave had inflicted upon her mind, her body and her spirit. I suffered with her; I hurt with her that night every second she was with them, and every night after.

I wept when I saw what they had done to her. Her little body was so mangled and broken. Every cut, every mark, every bruise would harrow in the deep recesses of my heart forever. I knew my blood would heal her body, though it would do nothing for her mind and spirit. I feared she would never be the same again. Her resilience had astounded me, and I watched as the life returned to her eyes a little bit every day. It gave me hope. Quickly, I shook those thoughts away. She was peacefully asleep. I would remain as calm as possible.

By the time I had showered and gotten dressed, the cleaning crew had arrived. They assessed the damages and immediately told me they would need a safe place to rest for the day. Their estimate was reasonable, and they would also do away with Bobby's car. There were only three of them, and I showed them to my day chamber. They also informed me I would need to come back at first dark to approve their work and lock up. I grabbed some clothes and headed for Pam's.

Pam was expecting me. She opened the door before I knocked. It was a few hours until dawn, but she was already dressed in a nightgown. This was a telltale sign of a hard night. The second I entered, she immediately made me miss the Pam that was too badly wounded for sarcasm.

"He nearly gets me killed, gets fairy blood and doesn't even bring me any," she mused as she plopped onto the sofa. I took the chair adjacent to it and rolled my eyes. Of course, she smelled fairy on me. Then she asked me more seriously, "How did you come across a fairy? I hope it wasn't Sookie's cousin. She would be very cross with you." I shook my head and fell into rehashing the events that took place after I left her. When I finished, she shook her head, "She truly is a handful." I nodded in assent.

"Why did she reek of were and drugs this evening?" My earlier irritation flared. "I do not know, but I would wager the master of mutts had a hand in it." I leaned into the chair. Alcide would have some things to answer for. Pam smiled in anticipation. It was a blessing the bar was closed tonight. Neither of us would have been able to go and tend to it. "We need a new bartender," I told Pam.

"Yes, as well as a new day man," she replied. This time I would have Sookie help with the interviews. Mainly because it was important that she liked whoever it was, and second she would know their worthiness. "I will begin the process for both tomorrow." I nodded then she continued. "I had a very interesting conversation with Jason," Pam said. She was grinning now. I suppressed a sigh. She was baiting me. Whatever it was, she knew I would want to know. I further relaxed into the chair and closed my eyes. She sighed. "You know how to ruin my fun." I smiled.

She continued, "Well… Jason insists that at some point you make an honest woman of his sister." Anger flooded me, and I almost growled. "Sookie is not dishonest." I would drain that fool for suggesting such a thing. "That's what I said, but he explained it was a term for a woman when she marries her lover." I relaxed. That was a reasonable thing for the man of her family to ask. Not to insinuate that he has been an exemplary older brother or provider. I remembered confronting him on the topic when I was cursed.

"I told him that it was Sookie and not you," her grin was back. This news was going to work my disadvantage. Jason, from what little I knew, was not tactful. He would confront Sookie, and she would balk at the entire notion. Most likely she would also direct her anger at me. "I told him, by vampire law, she was your wife, but she refuses to move in with you or leave her job, or accept financial assistance from you." I was listening intently.

"Then he told me that of course she would not. That she was human and their grandmother brought her up right. In her human mind and proper upbringing, she would just be, and I quote 'shacking up with her vampire sugar daddy'. I had never considered that perspective before, and I told Pam so. "But I do not agree, Eric. I think Sookie is just stubborn." That too was true. "Regardless of the reason I think she needs time. She seems so unsure of me still."

Pam shook her head and told me with absolute certainty, "She loves you Eric."

"I know but something in her still fights me." The thought hurt a little. There was a pause. "Perhaps you are correct in thinking she needs time." I nodded. Pam watched television, and I went to use her computer. The internet and the sports car were the only human inventions worth anything. When dawn was close, I went into Pam's day chamber, and she was already lying down. I climbed in too. We were both ready for the night to end.

As I lay on my back next to her, she turned to me with a serious look on her face and said, "I think I love her too." My brow was raised in utter surprise. I turned unto one elbow to study her face. She wasn't teasing, and the realization seemed to please her. "I use to care only because you did. Now it would seem she has a place in my heart." This was a night for the impossible. Pam was not emotional not even when she was human and certainly not after she was turned. "She does seem to have that effect on everything supernatural that gets too close." I smiled.

"She called me 'her bud,' and she genuinely cares about me." Pam was really touched. I understood why. In her human life, she did not have any true friends. No one that knew her real self all her friends were hand chosen by the social climbing parents. That was partly why she had taken to immortality with such great caliber. "We are both lucky to have her," I said softly.

Pam nodded. I leaned over her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep child." We laid in silence as dawn approached. Both our minds were on Sookie, the woman who held our hearts and our love.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Two**

**A Strange Sensation**

When I opened my eyes the next morning I was in bed with two men. If the past two years of my life had been less crazy this would have freaked me out. Considering what all of us had been thorough last night I didn't object when they wanted to sleep in my bed. I was in the middle Dermot on one side and Claude on the other. Their fingers interlaced and draped over my stomach. They were both facing me; I was facing Dermot. If I didn't know fairies to be so touchy-feely I would have been uncomfortable. It was still kind of strange though. Mainly because it felt right, it felt like I was missing this all my life but I had never known it.

This reminded me of the weeks after my parents died and me and Jason slept with gran. Despite the occurrences on my front lawn last night I had the most peaceful dream. I dreamt of the most beautiful place it was like something out of a fairy tale. In fact I had a sneaking suspicion that I was the Fae realm. I couldn't be sure because I had never been there nor had anyone ever described it to me. I dreamt of a huge white stoned castle that was high off the ground sitting atop the clouds. There were beautiful flowers on almost every surface.

The sun was shining I felt its warmth deep in my bones. There were so many happy smiling faces some I knew and others I didn't. We all laughed and we danced and we ate the most delicious foods. There was a woman whose hair would have rivaled Rapunzel's in length. Enchanting was the only word that came to mind when I saw her, she had a glow that captivated you. She was almost too beautiful to look at. Yet I didn't feel self-conscious like I normally would have. She was playing a harp and sang a song that I swore touched my very soul. Her voice harmonized beautifully with her instrument. As I listened I felt every hardship I was carrying, every wound I ever suffered wash away; with every note she played and every bar she sung I began feeling lighter and whole again. When Claude said he felt like he was starving without the company of his own kind he wasn't kidding. I suppose it wasn't that bad for me because I had so little fairy blood in me.

I had slept so peacefully it made me reluctant to move, I was afraid to undo the effect of the night's sleep. I closed my eyes for a few minutes just taking inventory of myself. I felt just as whole and happy as I did in my dream. When I opened my eyes again Dermot was looking at me. He gave a slight smile and I returned it. He looked so much like Jason. He eased his fingers from Claude's but made no attempt to leave the bed. A few minutes later Claude woke up. He turned to both me and Dermot and smiled. We both smiled back and no one said anything then we got out of bed and began our morning routines.

We convened in the kitchen; showered and looking something to eat.

"Morning" I greeted them

"Morning cousin" Claude replied.

"Good morning" Dermot said. I already had the coffee made. Claude took it upon himself to cook for us, and I set the table. Dermot hung around awkwardly trying to stay out of both our way. When Claude was finished we sat down to our breakfast and ate. I noticed Dermot really wasn't eating.

"You weren't kidding were you Claude". He smiled because he knew what I meant.

"I mean it wasn't the only reason I came but no I wasn't." I nodded. Dermot kept stealing glances at me. When I would catch his gaze he would look away. You would think for someone who slept in my bed last night he would be less shy.

"When we are together we can call powers that heal the wounds to each other's hearts, minds and spirits". Dermot spoke without really looking at anything or anyone directly. Claude nodded.

"When Claudine died. No one had to tell me she died defending you. I was angry with her for leaving me all alone and I blamed you." He looked away" In my head I knew that it wasn't your fault but in my heart I was so hurt and angry. Holding on to the anger I had would never let me heal no matter how hard I tried" he smiled. "But it's gone now, all of it". I looked at him and I could feel his sincerity. I blamed myself too I was waiting for that guilt to resurface, to come crashing down on me and ruin the peace I felt. It never came. I furrowed my brows in confusion. Claude laughed and took my hand across the table.

"I know you felt guilty too, but now we are free of it" I nodded weakly. This day was beginning to get really weird. When I thought of Claudine there was no longer any guilt or hurt surrounding her place in my heart. Just love.

"I feel so…" words failed me. I knew Claude understood. He nodded.

"Fairies can live forever, but when we experience trauma and harbor it, it taints us. It takes a little part of our spark which is the very essence of our magic. We can go mad with it, sometimes we take our own lives, or sometimes we literally die of grief. What happened last night was the strongest and purest way to undo the damage." As Claude finished speaking, Dermot looked at me then looked away, again. This time Claude took his hand and gave him a nod. Dermot looked at me.

"I have robbed us all of things irreplaceable. There is blood on my hands. I will never truly be at absolved." I know this man was party to my parent's death. I should be angry and hurt but I couldn't find it in myself. I reached for his hand. He shrank back and bowed his head. The first time I had ever spoken to Dermot he was cursed. He was under a spell that made him seriously crazy. Even then, even as confused as he was, even as scared as I had been. I wanted to help him. His pain was so evident. I pitied him then and I pitied him now. I guessed it was worse now. when he was cursed he was still plagued with guilt but he was too confused to know why. He was lucid now but so were his memories of past events. It was easy to see he was trapped in his own hell.

"I do not deserve it" he looked up then and his face was streaked with tears. I got up from my seat and went to wrap my arms around his neck. He began sobbing.

"I am so so very sorry my niece" he choked out between sobs. I held him tighter in attempt to squeeze the grief from him.

"It's okay. It's alright." I was trying to shush him he only sobbed harder. I guess he had been carrying this inside him for a long time. After a few moments he gained control of himself. I released him. He took my hand as I stood in front of him.

"You remind me so much of Fintan." I smiled guessing that was a good thing.

"It is alright Uncle. You will see, you just need to spend more time with us" Claude said as he put his arms around his shoulders. Dermot nodded.

"You can come home with me and visit Sookie often" I nodded in agreement. Dermot looked from Claude to me and smiled. If regular people could heal each other like this, therapists everywhere would be fresh out of business.

Claude packed up and left taking Dermot with him. We discussed spending time with Dermot like two parents deciding visitation of a child. Mostly he would come to my place during the day when I wasn't working, and some nights when I wasn't with Eric or at work. Dermot needed love and support I would do my best to be there for him. As good as I felt it seemed wrong not to try to help him heal too. When they were gone I just sat and thought about all the bad things that had happened to me. My uncle Bartlett, and my parent's deaths hurt the most. My uncle was the first man to break my trust. He was the first person who had ever really hurt me. He stole my innocence. Even after Bill killed him no matter how hard I tried up until last night what he did still made me angry and afraid.

When my parents died they simply took everything I had ever known with them. For a very long time nothing felt safe. Gran fixed that. She took extra good care of me and Jason. Her house became a safe haven her kind words and warm embrace made my being an outcast bearable. Growing up I thought no one would want me. In part because I felt damaged but mostly because most people thought I was crazy. That is why Bill breaking my trust and my heart left a pain in my heart I thought would never heal. Even after I thought I got over the anger. All of those things had taken a part of me; all of those things had pushed me, but it was my time with the psychotic fairies that broke me. They showed me unimaginable pain and cruelty. I had never wanted to die before that time in my life. There was really nothing left of me after that. There was nothing to give or to take. I was empty, hollow, and I was a reduced to a sliver of my former self.

Losing Claudine and Niall leaving made me feel more alone after that hell. I concentrated on how I felt when those things happened I remembered feelings ranging from terror, to guilt, to shame. Mostly I remembered feeling like Humpty Dumpty. I was in too many pieces to ever be put back together again. After last night, whole is exactly what I felt like. Where there was anger and so much angst there was now peacefulness that resonated from my very core and filled my entire being. I really didn't realize how much tumult I was walking around with. I smiled to myself. Today was a beautiful day I would get out and enjoy it.

Before I went anywhere I called Jason. Last I saw him yesterday he was nearly passed out from his blood donation to Pam. Most likely he didn't go into work today. Then again he never missed work for anything. The phone went straight to voice mail. That meant he was home and still asleep. I left him a message telling him to call me. After I cleaned up the mess from breakfast I headed outside. I had my bikini on and radio in hand ready to soak up some sun. I managed to sprinkle in some very light yard work. A few hours later I went in and made myself a very late lunch and began prepping for my shift tonight. Instead of dressing in uniform for my drive to work I wore a bright pink T-shirt dress and I even took time to do something more elaborated than a pony tail. I spent some time on my make up too. I would change when I got to work but I just felt pretty. What can I say? I sang my little heart out to the radio as I drove to work. As I was pulling into the employee parking lot I noticed the protestors. They were becoming a regular sight and everyone was just starting to ignore them. When I entered through the back I saw back I saw Sam.

"Hi Sam" I waved eagerly and gave him a big smile. He turned around and gave a wary glance. What's with him? I thought. He seemed to realize he was being rude and said,

"Hey Sookie" He looked skeptical. I assumed he was worried about why I wasn't dressed in uniform. It was just a guess. Weres and two natured came in a fuzzy on my mental radar.

"Don't worry I'm gonna change for work" I assured him with a smile.

"Okay then" I headed for the lockers. When I emerged there I saw there was a pretty decent crowd in the bar tonight. This was great because I know once he came out as two natured Sam was worried about his business suffering. The protesters didn't help any. It was nice to see the regulars continue their patronage. It gave me a good feeling about the people who lived in my little town, until I read their minds. I pulled my shields up. If I've learned anything from being able to read minds, it's that you can definitely know too much about people. I was aware of Eric in the bond I hoped his night would be as nice as my day had been. He promised to see me soon. Though I wasn't sure what soon was. I missed him already. I got my tables and went to work. As I made my rounds I noticed Sam giving me weird looks every now and again. When I caught him I would smile and wave. At first he only looked more confused. Another time I stuck my tongue out at him. He shook his head like I was losing my mind. It made me laugh. I talked to Maxine Fortenberry, about the upcoming nuptials of her son. I talked to Andy Belfleur about the baby that was on the way. By the end of the night I realized I was getting really big tips. Maybe it was the makeup? The time flew by, and before I knew it, it was quitting time. Sam cornered me as I went into the back to change into my dress.

"What's going on with you Sook?" He was looking me straight in the eye.

"What are you talking about, you're the one who barely said two words to me today" I was confused.

"You seem like… you" he said with confusion. He pulled his hand through his hair. Then I understood what he was talking about. Sam was the best boss and he really was my best friend. Not many people can say their best friend went to war with them. Sam had always been there for me. I was seeing myself in his mind the way I had been after the Fae war. I saw how he was so worried and felt so helpless. Mostly I saw how lifeless my eyes were, I saw how much seeing me like that had hurt him. He was relieved but a little unnerved. I was so touched by this. Then he shook his head.

"It's really good to have you back Sookie. I've missed you". He said with a smile. He walked away then shot back over his shoulder "whatever it is keep it up". I smiled. Explaining the whole Fairy relations healing session might be a little complicated. I really didn't understand it myself. Eric was close. I was excited and quickly changed into by dress. I received a text message from Jason telling me he stopped by my house to get his truck already. Today was a really good day and seeing him would make it perfect. As I drove home I was thinking about the day I had. Nothing spectacular had happened I just felt good. When I was pulling into my driveway the reason for my big tips today dawned on me. My whole state of being was uplifted and it showed. I laughed and smiled with my customers like it was first day. I even gave Maxine a hug and patted the soon to be daddy Andy on the back. I laughed to myself as I exited my car. I was turning into such fairy. I wasn't paying attention as I walked towards my front porch. There he was illuminated by the moon light, Eric. He was as still as only a vampire could be. His long hair billowed lightly in the cool breeze of the night. He had on the usual black jeans and black t-shirt with a leather jacket over it. Even in the dim light I could see his face pulled into his trademark smirk. My day was Perfect.

**Eric**

**Chapter Three**

**Answered Prayers**

My presence here seemed to have caught her off guard despite the fact that she could feel me. She must have forgotten my promise to see her today no matter what. I smirked.

"Care to let me in on the joke, Lover?"

"Eric!" she squealed, and she began running into my arms. I held them wide open for her. She hopped up and I caught her. This was a first. Even if I couldn't feel what she was feeling, the energy she was giving off was almost tangible in the air surrounding her. She wrapped both her arms and legs around me. My arms braced around her to hold her up. She kissed me.

From the second I woke I had been intensely aware of her. I always was aware of her but this was different. I did not understand exactly what she was feeling. In truth it was not just one emotion. It was more like an assortment of positive emotions combined. They were synthesized and gave an inclination of complete harmony. Never before had I felt anything like this emanating from her. At first it made me jealous. The only times I've felt anything remotely close to this from Sookie or myself is when she was with me. It was irrational to want to the only one to make her that happy. I know, but it was what I felt. I speculated for some time as to whom, or what could be making her feel this way. Maybe she was glad that the ordeal with my maker was over. Maybe she had received pleasing news of some sort. The more I speculate the more frustrated I became. Frustration turned to anger as nothing I could come up with seemed likely. Then it worried me. Despite the array of emotions I was experiencing hers remained steady. What she was feeling pushed back everything I was feeling and I couldn't help but become as contented as she was. As our kiss grew the feeling in intensified. It flooded our bond as it poured from her and washed through me. Nothing else existed in that moment but us and this shared feeling of bliss. She pulled away to breathe. Her forehead was rested on mine.

"Hi" She said with a smile.

"Hello Lover" I replied. My hand cupped her face and she leaned into my touch, she looked as though she were looking at me for the first time. We gazed at each other for a few moments in silence.

"Well are you going to enlighten me?" I asked her. She giggled.

"I was just laughing at myself for turning into such a fairy". That was confusing. It certainly didn't explain her state of mind. For the moment I decided not to press it.

"I wasn't expecting you" she said.

"I promised you lover, did I not?" She smiled. Seeing her today was difficult. There was much that needed to be done. My makers visit had left me behind on all my other affairs. Some damage control had to be done to minimize Victor's knowledge of Ocella's visit. There were renovations to be over seen at Fangtasia. Alexei had a tantrum in the back of the club early in the night yesterday. It left my office and some of the back hall in shambles, which was the reason we retired to my home. I went into the club to do what I could even without my office. Pam was non too happy about my leaving her there alone. Truly I did not think I would hear the end of it until the next century. I missed my wife and I had a present for her. Nothing would make me break my word.

"You can stay with me tonight?" She asked sounding a bit uncertain. I could tell she very much wanted me to, just as much as I wanted to.

"I'm all yours". I replied without even the slightest of hesitation. There was no struggle in me now like there had been earlier. Not with her body so close to mine. Not when I could see and feel just how happy my acceptance made her. She smiled and kissed me. I carried her up the steps and into the house. I could feel her yearning for me. Her home smelled strongly of fairy. It added some urgency to my craving for her. The dress she wore rode to her hips because of the way she was wrapped around me. My hands were everywhere. I could feel the heat from her sheath; I could feel her moisture through my shirt and her panties; the scent of her lust was so thick in the air I could almost taste it. My fangs extended completely. She ran the tip of her tongue up and down the length of them. It made me shiver. I brought us into her bedroom and the smell of fairy was thicker in the air and it originated from the bed. I froze. She felt my anger but she was mostly confused. Mechanically I detached Sookie from me. My nostrils flared as the scent fully registered. My gaze fell upon her bed and was fixed there. Anger pulsed through me with so much fervor I rocked on the balls of my feet in an attempt to gain control. My fangs were still extended, only now they were extended in pure rage. I wanted to speak but I had to calm down, but I didn't want to be calm. I wanted to kill someone. I turned and glared at Sookie. My gaze was only met with a concerned expression.

"Why does your bed reek of fairies?" I hardly recognized my voice. It was chocked with rage, and hurt. It made me feel weak for letting my hurt show now. She felt my pain because she flinched a little. When her cousin had moved in, it had not trouble me much. Sookie could not help but help anyone who needed it. Also I was confident, and I trusted her. Understanding lit her face. Then she took a step towards me with her hands outstretched. I recoiled and a snarled built up in my chest but it never reached my lips. My body betrayed me. No matter how enraged I felt my entire being would never allow such actions towards this woman.

"Eric, Claude and Dermot slept in my room last night". That was something I already knew. Hearing her say those words still stung.

"They said they needed to" She took another step forward and she took one of my hands in both of hers my anger ebbed a little. She looked into my eyes. As I looked back into hers I saw no indication of lies or hesitation. I wanted to believe her. The air in her bedroom was assaulting my sense of smell, and it kept fueling my anger. I had to leave. I needed clean air. I walked out of the bedroom door and then the front door with Sookie trailing behind me. I was facing the yard. She began speaking to my back.

"Eric I'm sorry I didn't explain it to you before. When everything was over last night I went to go bed and they were already there. We just slept." Now that was I was outside I was able to recall that there had been no scent of her sex on the bed. There had been no fluids of any sort on her bed. I turned to face her. My expression was guarded.

"Why did they need to?" I asked. The feeling of happiness was now in the background of other numerous and forceful emotions but it was still there. She sat on a chair that was on the porch.

"I needed it too but I just didn't know it". I arched an eyebrow because she wasn't explaining exactly what 'it' was.

"Dermot told me that when we are together we can call the powers to heal each other's minds, hearts and spirits. Then Claude explained to me that Fairies can live a very long time, but when they experience trauma and hold onto it, it taints them. It takes a little part of their spark which is the very essence of their magic, the spark I have too I guess. He said that sometimes they can go mad with it and kill themselves or literally die of grief." Her comment about 'turning into such a fairy' made sense now. Since first dark I have been feeling what spending the night with her kind had done for her. Even after the nightmares stopped and she tried to get back to normal, she couldn't. She was tense most of the time; I do not even think she realized it. Being with me helped little. I truly was afraid she would never be the same again not that I could blame her. I had prayed that last night's events would not awaken her nightmares. This was better than anything I could have hoped for. She was Sookie again. It was as if no darkness had ever touched her.

"You will not actually turn into a fairy will you?" I did not know the extent of their magic. Sookie smiled and shook her head.

"I don't need any more reason for you to want to eat me" She replied playfully. She quickly realized her words had a double meaning and she blushed and smirked at me. I went and knelt in front of her. She looked at me

"I'm sorry Eric, I should have given you a heads up I know what that must have looked like" Her face was serious and her tone was soft. I shook my head.

"No lover. I should not have reacted so strongly. I should have shown more faith in you" She nodded. She kissed me softly. The other feelings were washing away now, as our happiness grew. When we pulled apart I asked her,

"How long will the effects last?" I was curious.

"I don't know" She looked thoughtful. Then she said,

"I would guess that the emotional healing is permanent. The happiness is kind of like a side effect and it doesn't keep me from feeling other things. It will fade I think." I nodded taking in what she said. I truly hoped she was correct.

"Can we go inside?" she asked. I stood and took her hand and led us back inside. She went into the kitchen I followed.

"Would you like a blood?" I shook my head. I could use a drink but I did not want to ruin my appetite with synthetic blood. She got herself a drink and sat at the kitchen table. I leaned on the counter.

"Is Pam alright?" I smiled. She has seen vampires heal from the worst injuries. Somehow I do not think she really grasped the concept of how fast we healed.

"Pam is well so is your brother, she drove him home." I answered. I assumed she has already spoken to her brother seeing his car was no longer here. She nodded.

"Did you get your house all cleaned up?" I nodded.

"Although the work did run into dawn I had to rest with Pam today" She raised an eyebrow at that and gave me a questioning look.

"When you say 'rest with Pam' I assume you took the guest bedroom" I began to feel her irritation.

"No. We shared her bed". I felt her anger before I finished my sentence. She was glaring at me.

"You are unbelievable Eric you know that. Unbelievable." I did not understand the qualm.

"What are you angry about?" She got to her feet.

"You. You flip out because my cousin and my uncle slept in my room even though you slept with Pam." Then I understood.

"Pam and I haven't been lovers in over a 100 years". Perhaps that was not the best response. Her anger flared and she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Great that makes it all better." She took a step back and tried to reign in her temper. I would never tell her so, but when she was worked up like this it made me want her. I loved her tenacity. There are very few creatures that would dare to go toe to toe with me in this manner. I tried not to smile.

"Don't you trust me" I asked her. She looked at me

"I do. This isn't about trust it's about the double standard that's forever present between us." When I was human that was the norm and when I was turned it was a general rule. I did not want it to be that way between us when it wasn't necessary, especially because it made her unhappy. In this situation it wasn't necessary and from her perspective I was being grossly unfair which I could understand. I would appease her. I did not want to fight.

"Duly noted" She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. I suppose she was expecting more of an argument from me.

"What? No smart reply. No highhanded justifications?" I smiled and shook my head.

"There are times when my so called 'highhandedness' is required but this isn't one of them" She looked so shocked I started laughing. Did she really think me to be such an authoritarian? She smiled.

"I do not wish to fight lover" She walked over to me and rested her head on my chest.

"Me either" I picked her up and put her on the counter.

"I have something for you" I said with a smiled. She raised an eyebrow at me in question.

"I told you I didn't need a present" Typical Sookie.

"I told you I felt like buying you one" I reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved the velvet box inside. I passed it to her and she took it with shaky hands. Honestly I have never met a woman so adverse to accepting gifts or favors from a man. As she opened It I watched her face. She gasped and her eyes went wide. She stared at the contents and gingerly ran her fingers over them.

"Eric, they're..." She was looking at me and I could see tears rimming her blue eyes. I was told these would take her breath away, but speechless worked just as well.

I kissed her. My need for this woman could not be denied any longer. I pulled her dress over her head. She pulled my shirt over mine and began tugging at my jeans. When they fell to ground I kicked them off along with my shoes. I freed her breasts and reduced her panties to shreds at my feet. She was beautiful. Her legs were wrapped around me, her hands were stroking me. I slid my fingers into her. She arched her back. She was more than ready and I could wait no longer. She looked into my eyes.

"Eric I love you." Whatever was in her that would not allow her to fully relent to me was gone. I saw it in her eyes and I felt it in her admission.

"And I love you" I entered her. She moaned. It was an exquisite sound that played in the background as we celebrated our love. We went from the counter, to the table, to the bedroom. She was nestled into my body and my arms were wrapped around her body. We were in complete post cordial bliss. I realized now what had kept her from fully letting me in was fear. Fear that I would hurt her as Bill had done. It added to the happiness of the moment that nothing was between us now. She had given her heart to me fully. This was heaven.

"Lover, why did you smell of were and drugs last night" I had almost forgotten to ask. She hesitated. I knew immediately I would be unhappy with whatever she was about to say.

"I kinda had to play shaman for Alcide's pack before I got to your house. I had to drink this drug to do it though"

"Is that what made you sick?"

"Yes, but only for a little bit" Anger pulsed through me I suppressed it. I wasn't angry with her I was angry at the were. He should have asked my permission, he knew that. Sookie did not. He had no right to do what he did. He would pay.

"Please don't get mad I wanted to help him out" I knew that already. She was always being reckless with her own life to help other people.

"He had no right" I said coolly.

"He asked me to help so I did". She understood so very little.

"You are mine he should have asked me" I lost my grasp on calm. She was angry I knew she hated being referred to that way. It was just a fact. She pulled from my grasp to look at me.

"Eric first of all I hate when you vampires say that. Second I have a brain I can make my own decisions". She really did not understand may be that was my fault. I have never really explained. This was not her fault. I reigned in my anger and pulled her back to me she came reluctantly.

"Sookie, we are bonded, you are my wife. Any insult to you is an insult to me. Such Infractions should not go without consequence. It makes me look weak if people perceive me to be weak we will both be in danger. You need to understand that lover for both our sakes. That was an insult because Alcide knew better" She was quiet for a long time.

"I guess I understand that"

"You do?" That was surprising. I was half expecting to have my invitation rescinded and have to fly home naked.

"I don't like it in the least but I trust you. Just don't hurt Alcide okay."

"Not even a little bit" I asked her playfully. Well I was not fully adverse to the idea of inflicting some pain upon that mutt if I couldn't kill him.

"No. I mean I wouldn't mind slapping him myself for the situation he knowingly created. But I did find out some useful bits of information and he owes me big time now so you really shouldn't." I smiled as I nuzzled her hair.

"Okay". Pam would be most disappointed with this.

"What did you find out?"

"Nothing relevant now but, Coleman was trying to have me sent to jail by bribing a were to kill and bury a body in my woods" That must have been why her cousin had insisted on moving in. It eased some of my worries that Sookie had two more people to protect her when I wasn't able. She was exhausted.

"Sleep" I kissed her head.

"Eric?"

"What is it Lover?"

"Thank you"

"You are welcome Lover"

Soon after she was fast asleep.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Four**

**Family Matters**

When I woke up my house smelled like bacon and biscuits. It wasn't just regular biscuits it smelled exactly like gran use to make. I got out of bed. I thought I was dreaming my stomach hoped I was wrong. When I walked into the kitchen I saw Dermot. It has been about a week since Dermot's curse was broken I haven't seen him since the morning after, but here he was in my kitchen cooking breakfast. His movements were fluid, as he made his way around my kitchen. He was humming a whimsical tune. The smell of bacon and biscuits made my stomach grumble. That's saying something. Usually the first thing I wanted in the morning was a cup of coffee.

"Good morning niece" He turned from the stove and gave me bright smile. With the angle that the morning sun was hitting his face his features looked like something out of this world. He seemed to be in better spirits too. It was a testament that the past two years of my life have been crazy because I wasn't bothered in the least. It didn't even occur to me to ask him how he got in, or why he didn't call. Nope I wanted biscuits with eggs, and bacon.

"Good morning uncle" He pointed to a chair and I sat. He didn't have to tell me twice. He served me breakfast complete with orange juice. Then he sat down with his plate and we enjoyed our breakfast in companionable silence. After he finished eating I noticed he began to look uncomfortable. I took a hint and stopped stuffing my face I knew there was something he wanted to say.

"I find myself deeply troubled" he told me.

"Why? What happened?" I immediately became concerned for him. He looked at me.

"Your cousin has told me some unsettling things about you" I raised my eyebrows dubiously. I fought the urge to shout 'whatever he said wasn't true'. This conversation was going to be very unpleasant. I could feel it. I prepared myself as I waited for him to continue.

"He informed me that the Fae war was not the first one you have been involved in" He had placed his hands on the table and was staring at them intently. I assumed he was waiting for me to answer. I would get Claude back for this.

"No it wasn't" He looked up and his expression was anxious. I guess he was hoping that Claude was mistaken. I say 'mistaken' because from what I could tell fairies couldn't flat out lie. Not to say this feature made them super honest, more like it made them the masters of evasion and deflection. It was really a chore to get them to talk something if they didn't really want to. Damn. My cousin was so inconsiderate. Just because all of near brushes with death didn't bother him didn't mean they wouldn't bother Dermot. Why were they talking about me anyway? I really wanted to say something to ease his worrying.

"I'm sure Claude made it sound worse than it was" I knew I was stretching it here. It was impossible to make my past misadventures sound worse than they were. He got up and brought his plate to the sink. When he spoke his back was still turned to me.

"So you did not fight in the were witch war?" He turned to look at me then.

"I wouldn't say I fought exactly. I mean I was there and there was a lot of fighting happening around me. I stayed out of it mostly and I only had to kill one were witch, But he was hurting a friend of mine" I thought back to that night and how mark was draining Pam right before my eyes. In one of those super smooth fairy movements Dermot crossed his hands across his chest.

"And the Shreveport pack war" Did Claude leave anything out? I took a deep breath.

"I wouldn't call it a war exactly. It was more like a skirmish. Again, I was there, and there was fighting going on around me" I made a circular motion with my hands to illustrate the around me part. "I stayed out of it and I wasn't hurt at all". This time I thought it would be wise to leave out the part about me jumping unto a werewolf's back.

"Claudine told him you dove unto the back of a were amidst this skirmish" I wondered if there wasn't some guardian to guarded confidentiality that Claudine violated when she told Claude that.

"Yes I did but she was going to hurt a friend of mine, and it was my fault that he was there in the first place."

"The same friend from the were witch war?" He seemed curious instead of anxious. I took that as a good sign.

"No Pam was with me in the were witch war she's a vampire. Sam was with me in the Pack war he's a shifter." I really hoped this would lead to a topic change.

"Then Claudine had to pull you out of this house while it burned?" I nodded. He didn't know about the fire being set by a vampire assassin and I wasn't going to tell him. I was done volunteering information at this point. If he didn't call me on it I wasn't copping to it.

"Then you were shot" I nodded.

"Why? And Who by?" I felt like I was in court and this was the cross examination.

"A woman who hated two natured and thought I was one". He looked confused but moved on.

"What happened in New Orleans?" At this point I was getting pretty irritated at both Claude and at Dermot for reminding me what a disaster most of the last two years had been. If it had been anyone else that was grilling me like this I would have lost it by now. With Dermot I knew he would feel awful and I would feel worse afterward. So I just sucked it up.

"A fight broke out between the Arkansas vampires and the Louisiana vampires. Again I was there, but I didn't do any fighting" I shrugged to make the whole thing sound less horrible than it actually was. It would also be very unwise to mention that I was kidnapped by the Pelt family.

"You did not kill anyone?" I did have to give jade flower some solid kicks to the face though.

"No, I stayed out of it and ran when I could" he nodded

"Why were you in Rhodes" Yup. Lucky me I get to have cross examination to go with my breakfast.

"I was asked by the Vampire queen of Louisiana" He frowned at that though I couldn't tell you why.

"Where was your vampire while all of this was befalling you?" Okay. Dermot was headed into very dangerous territory.

"Eric has saved my life more times than I can count" There was an edge to my voice. Dermot must have sensed where this was going because he nodded and looked away.

"Listen it's really not as bad as you think". That was a lie. It was worse. Giving how he didn't know about several occurrences or have grizzly detail of the ones he did know of. The truth was from the night I saved bill from the Rattrays to the night Dermot saved me from Coleman, creatures of the supernatural have been wreaking havoc in my life and there seemed to be no end in sight.

"You are wrong" he finally told me. "Perhaps it is because of your gift; perhaps it is the Fae blood in you, but whatever the reason you attract much violence. I do not know how you have managed to stay alive thus far" He was looking at me and I wasn't sure if his question was rhetorical or not. Either way I didn't have an answer.

"I wish to train you"

"To do what?" I was so glad this conversation had finally taken a different turn I didn't care where it went.

"To defend yourself, to fight" this turn really wasn't any better. I was in one of those out of the frying pan and into the fire situations. I wanted to stay away from fights period. Learning to do just that seemed like inviting it in.

"I'm trying to stay out of fights" I told him honestly.

"But you are not succeeding" Well he had me there. His voice held frustration

"And not knowing how to fight has not kept you out of them. It does not serve as a deterrent for those who wish to do you harm. In truth it serves to encourage them". I was trying to come up with something to say but nothing came to mind, he was right and he knew it. I just stared at my hands in my lap. He spoke in softer tone

"So much like Fintan, he too had a gentle spirit and a fearless heart." I looked up then he had a rueful smile on his face.

"You have the spark. I feel it in you. We could work to strengthen. If you can harness enough power I can show you ways to use it to take away the need to fight". I didn't know which scared me more. I really didn't need any more reason for vampires to want me; for Fairies to hate me; or for humans to think I was crazy. Telepathy was enough thank you very much. He walked back over to the table and knelt in front of me.

"I will not force you; If you wish it I shall never speak of it again. Even if you refuse me I will stand as your guardian no matter the costs, but please, please consider what I am offering you". He put his hand on my cheek. "You and your brother is all that is left of my brother, if anything happens to you, to either of you nothing in this world or the next will bare my grief ends" I looked into his eyes and they looked pained. I knew he meant every single word. I brought my hand over the one he placed on my cheek and I nodded. Just like that I had signed up for fairy training.

Today was my day off work Dermot and I could spend time together. He helped me with some light yard work that had to be done. I was telling him how I was barely keeping grans roses alive. He laughed lightly at my defective green thumb. Then I watched as he touched the soil the roses were in and they bloomed. "Sky Fae are in tuned with nature. We can pull energy from the sun and rise with the moon". I guess this was fairy basics.

"Like you are stronger in the sun" That might explain why I loved being out. I remember Niall making a reference to it the day I killed a fairy in the yard.

"Not stronger. Our minds are sharper, out in the sun we feel centered. But we are most formidable under light of a full moon. Our magic can increase tenfold"

"Oh" was my brilliant reply

"What kinds of things do you think I should learn?" I asked him while I was raking.

"Shielding definitely, cloaking, and summoning if you can master it" All of that meant very little to me. He must have caught the look on my face because he took my hand and pulled us to sit on the ground.

"Shielding is a defensive tool. It has many variations but with you I think the straight forward bodily shields would be best" he looked at me I nodded. "It will allow you to create a kind of barrier between you and an enemy. The stronger your power the stronger the shield will be. The longer you are under attack the less effective it becomes." If I didn't learn anything else I had to learn this. I thought about my last new year's resolution to not get hit. This would have helped with that. If I was being honest with myself I was really tired of being a punching bag for the supernatural and humans alike.

"What's cloaking?" I asked him

"Cloaking like shielding is a good defensive tool but it can also be used for offense. It too has many variations. You can make someone or something seemly invisible even to the keenest of senses; it can also be used to make something appear different than what it actually is" I was paying really close attention and I caught on to the implications right away. In a sticky situation I could hide and high tail it outta there without anyone being able to follow me. He smiled "That is how Fintan hid Adel and the children he was particularly skilled at using cloaks." Dermot's face fell slightly.

"You miss him don't you?" I took his hand in mine.

"Every day" He was staring straight ahead but he squeezed my hand.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. He turned and gave a small smile.

"No it does not hurt so much anymore now that I am with you and Claude". Then he continued with the debriefing.

"Last is summoning. It will be challenging for you because it takes more power. It is used to call objects." I wasn't sure I heard correctly.

"Call objects like out of thin air?" I repeated. He nodded.

"For most fairies it is a convenience for you it will be a necessity." I was in shock.

"In addition to magic training I will show you how to use a blade" That snapped me out of it.

"Like a sword?" I was seriously uncomfortable with that notion. I don't know why. When he said he would teach me to defend myself earlier I thought he would teach me fairy karate. The concept of a sword was seriously scary. It must have shown on my face because he began laughing. I was a little piqued and I gave him a sour look.

"When our father began our training Fintan wanted nothing to do with a sword. He excelled at magic but I took to the blade". He smiled "I will teach you all I know and hope that you will never need it."

"Do you really think I can learn any of this, I mean I want to I see that I need to but…"He cupped my face with is hands and said

"I would not have offered if I did not think you capable" He got up and we went inside. I cleaned up and we decided to go to the library.

Unexpectedly I found Dermot loved the library. While I browsed the romance and mystery he was enthralled by science fiction. I agreed to check out a few books for him on my library card. He vowed on his honor to return them unscathed and in a timely manner. It took everything I had not to laugh. We went to the mall; I picked up some workout clothes; he bought some casual clothes. We walked past a store that had a Bow on display and Dermot was practically drooling. It had to be some kind of antique. The bow was black. The middle was designed with gold. The patterns were elaborate. Both ends were in the shape of wings those too were designed in gold. It looked well crafted; I thought it was pretty but I really didn't see the attraction. When we walked into the store Dermot stared at it, he even sniffed at it. The sales man noticed him and came over to us. He was a little old man he was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and khakis. His hair was pure white and it contrasted with his tan skin. He had the thickest eyebrows I had ever seen. He reminded me of Dr. Ludwig both in build and in mental signature.

"You have a fine eye" he said to Dermot.

"May I hold it?" The shop keeper nodded and walked over to the display case and unlocked it. Dermot looked like a kid on Christmas morning. He didn't even pick it up he just caressed it, running his fingers over the designs down the length of the bow. He flicked the string lightly.

"I will purchase this" He told the shop keep without taking his eyes off it.

"It is no trinket young man" The man gave Dermot a serious look

"Yes I know. This is the Bow of Draco Ael. (Pronounced ah-eel)The fallen guardian of Kai" Well he had lost me. The old man nodded and went to get a box for the bow and a quiver, which was empty.

"Where are the arrows?" I didn't know anything about this but I thought he was getting ripped off for not getting any arrows.

"They need none" Dermot answered with a smile. I shrugged it off. He knew a whole lot more about it than I did. We strolled through the mall sometimes arm in arm laughing and talking. He was curious about my favorite subject in school, my friends, we talked about Jason, and we even talked about Eric. We decided to eat out. While we waited for our food I decided to ask Dermot about his new toy.

"So who exactly is Draco Ael?" His eyes lit up at my question.

"Draco was the greatest archer of all the elves." Of course "During the great war of the elves the kingdom of Kai was attacked and he alone held the defenses for two days and two nights until help arrived, and he used this very bow" He stroked the box that held his fancy new toy.

"How come you don't need bows?" He answered eagerly. I couldn't help but notice how much happier Dermot looked.

"This bow was carved from an eternal tree and it is bound to it. When the Bow needs an arrow it comes from that tree" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. You would think that at this point I was use to weird. Our food came then and we ate. Half way through dinner I got a twinge of anxiety from Eric shortly followed by anger. Dermot caught on to my change in mood.

"Is everything alright?" He knew I was fine he knew whatever I was feeling wasn't mine.

"Yes. Eric is a bit angry is all" I smiled and he nodded. After dinner he accompanied me home though he didn't stay long. I got the feeling he was playing body guard. Before Dermot left we discussed a possible training schedule. In the end we agreed to leave it the same as the visitation schedule. We also decided that he should leave some of his clothes in the upstairs bedroom where Claude used to stay. As I got ready for bed that night I realized what a nice time I had. It never really occurred to me that during the daylight hours I was lonely to some degree. I never really had a ton of friends growing up so I guess I didn't really know how much fun it was just to share a normal day out with someone. Our time together was so pleasant I didn't even notice it passing. I fell asleep comforted that I had gained an uncle and a friend.

**Eric**

**Chapter Five**

**Loyalties and Royalties**

When I rose this evening there was a smile on my face. Sookie was content. I knew she did not work during the day so most likely she was with her uncle. Being with him made her happy and it eased my worries for her safety during the day light hours. I heated a blood and headed for my home office. I had received two calls from Sandy already, which was odd. Sandy was DeCastro's personal assistant. I met her during the weeks following the takeover. Since then however all affairs in Louisiana were delegated through Victor. Any edicts or tasks from DeCastro passed through him and then to the sheriffs. Needless to say I have had very little contact with her. As I pondered the possible reasons for her call my phone vibrated and flashed with her number again. Whatever the reason it must have been urgent. I answered.

"This is Eric" My voice was calm

"Sheriff Northman, good evening this is Sandy"

"Good evening Sandy what can I do for you" I was attempting to gauge her mood. I was listening for signs of stress in her tone. It was nearly impossible to read a vampire if they did not want you to but she seemed at ease.

"Please hold sheriff the King has requested to speak with you". I immediately became apprehensive. Sandy contacting me directly was unusual. The king speaking with me directly was an anomaly. I listened as the phone changed hands.

"Sheriff Northman" The king's voice was casual as if he were speaking to an old friend and not one of his subjects.

"Your majesty. How may I be of service" Despite his demeanor I would mind my decorum.

"I have a task that I believe you to be very well suited for" Everything about this conversation was wrong. DeCastro should not be assigning me anything directly. It broke the chain of command. It sent the wrong message and it undermined his lieutenant. I waited for him to continue.

"Arkansas, Eric is proving to be bigger liability than I thought upon acquisition. I want you to go and meet with some of the sheriffs of the state and what is the word…"

"Brain storm" Sandy whispered.

"Yes brain storm ways to attract fresh faces, raise revenue and most importantly stop the financial hemorrhaging." When he said that I immediately saw this for what it was. DeCastro had charged Victor to do the same thing with Louisiana and now he was regretting it. He would not risk sending him to Arkansas. Victor had enough supporters to make him a problem. If DeCastro sent him to Arkansas and his support grew then he would become a legitimate threat. He chose me first and foremost because he was certain I wanted nothing to do with Arkansas. Secondly this would shake Victor and make him a little uncertain of his place at DeCasto's side. No doubt this would fuel his crusade against me. Mostly he chose me because of my weakness, he chose me because of Sookie. He knew I would not refuse because I needed to remain in his good graces. We both knew he was the only thing preventing Victor from openly attacking me. So far DeCastro has stayed out of the struggle between Victor and me. This action did not tell me he was choosing to stand with me. It was more like a nod of his favor.

"It would be an honor" My tone was still calm, but I was seething. I knew he was using me but I had no choice. I hated it. Feeling helpless and trapped was something I loathed more than anything else in this world.

"You can expect to be gone no more than a fortnight at the end of which you will report to me"

"As you wish"

"Very good then, so Northman how is the little Mrs." His voice held amusement. I would have thought he would have been angry that I married Sookie to keep her from him.

"She is well your majesty thank you" I knew what was coming next. He would ask Sookie's presence in Arkansas.

"She is managing to stay out of trouble then?" He said with a laugh. I no longer knew where this conversation was leading.

"Yes so far" I replied with false but equal amusement. There was nothing amusing about the fact that she couldn't go a few months without some form of violence or another.

"Good then I think it best to leave her home this time around, however it is just a suggestion" I was not expecting that and I did not know what to make of it.

"A fine one your majesty"

"Well Northman that will be all. Sandy will provide you with the particulars." With that the phone changed hands.

"Sheriff your flight will depart from Shreveport tomorrow night at 8pm. I will be on board and we will travel to Arkansas together. Will you be traveling alone?" So DeCastro was indeed letting me choose.

"Yes"

"Until tomorrow Sheriff" She hung up. I held the phone for several seconds while I was deep in thought. As usual I was attempting to see two moves ahead of my opponent. Calibrating several plausible scenarios and outcomes of this situation. It was unlikely that this was trap of some sort. DeCastro would not benefit from my death. It was also very unlikely that he was expecting trouble. After the fight in New Orleans and Rhodes there were no Arkansas vampires from the old regime to speak of. What worried me was that he did not ask that Sookie accompany me. If it were me I would insisted upon it. Not that he could order such a thing because she was my wife. He did have the power to influence my choice. Then it occurred to me that perhaps he was subtlety trying to tell me something. The only thing that was certain was that DeCastro wanted to leave Victor out of Arkansas. Whatever the ploy Sookie would remain here. Instinct told me she would be safest here. I would ask Pam and Bill to watch over her. I would also call in Alcide. He owed me for letting him live. Her uncle would also be with her during the day. I dialed Pam's number.

"Eric" she answered

"Pam I am being sent to Arkansas tomorrow night" before I could say more she interjected.

"I'm coming over"

When Pam arrived I was still upstairs. She walked into my bedroom, retrieved my suitcase and began packing my things.

"What is it now?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I spoke with DeCastro he has asked me to go to Arkansas to 'brain storm' with some area sheriffs." Pam stopped and looked at me with a serious expression.

"When are we leaving" Truthfully there was no child as loyal as Pam. I could trust her to lead and to follow. I could trust her to kill and die for me. She would do so without any question and she would do so readily. Getting her to let me go into the unknown without her was a different matter entirely.

"You mean for me to remain here" she answered her question. I nodded. She gave me questioning look.

"I need you to watch over Sookie"

"We will bring her with us" She shrugged as if providing an obvious solution to a difficult query. I shook my head. Then I went over my conversation with the king with her, hoping to get a different perspective. She was thoughtful for several moments.

"I think you are the lesser of two evils" I nodded. That was my main thought as well.

She continued with my packing. I went to call the were.

"It would seem that we have a problem were" I skipped the pleasantries.

"What?" His voice held contempt and I really wished I could slap him to remind him of the order of things.

"You endangered my wife you filthy beast, you insult me and used her to do it." My voice was cold.

"She wanted to help"

"Do not take me for a fool Alcide. She is mine. I have been tolerant so you think I am weak. That will prove to be a vital error on your part." There was malice in voice. He sighed.

"Seeing you haven't done anything about it yet I assume you will call in the debt I owe." I smiled.

"Good boy." He growled. I was enjoying this. "For the next two weeks she will require three of your finest around the clock."

"What! I can't spear that."

"You can and you will. Whomever you send should keep close enough to watch and aid her if the need arises but they should remain unseen otherwise." Knowing Sookie she would invite them in and her whole house would stink of were filth for a month.

"Starting when?" He asked.

"Tomorrow night, and make no mistake that there had better no further incidents" The threat in my voice was implicit. I hung up. Then I called Compton, and instructed him to coordinate with Pam for Sookie's care in my absence. When I returned to my bedroom Pam had finished packing. I was grateful. That was a task I really did not like. I would be happier to buy what I needed when I got where I was going.

"Pam make the time you spend with Sookie feel as natural as possible" she raised an eyebrow at me.

"You mean make it feel more like a social call and less like guard duty" I nodded.

"Exactly I do not want to make her anxious needlessly" She nodded. Pam went back home to prepare for Fangtasia I did the same.

It was close to 2am when I arrived at my lover's home. The inside smelled strongly of fairy. I needed to talk to her but if she smelled anything like the rest of her home I would have a difficult time of it. Everything she did was beautiful. As she slept her hair was a river of golden tresses that framed her lovely face. I just watched as her chest rose and fell with her deep even breaths. I wanted her. I removed my clothes and joined her on the bed. I kissed her cheek softly. I trailed feather light kisses along her jaw to her ear. I whispered

"My lover" into her ear as I teased it with my tongue. She was not awake but her legs parted for me. Her juices were already flowing. Our bond was humming with want, both hers and mine. I couldn't help but smile. Her body knew my touch. I moved my kisses to her neck and gently caressed her breasts. Her nipples hardened almost immediately in response. I continued my trail down her body pulling up her night gown as I went. When I reached her navel she shivered.

"Eric" she moaned. She was awake now but only barely. I continued my descent past her curls and I kissed the inside of her thighs. By the time I reached her core her breathing had accelerated. I tasted her and she whimpered. My fingers and my tongue worked in unison and I felt her pleasure build. As I increased my speed she arched her back and threw her head back. I couldn't have any of that. I loved having her watch me as I drove her to the heights of pleasure. It has never been something I cared for until I made love to her.

"Look at me lover" She was panting and her eyes were wild.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked me.

"No Lover. I am here" I held her gaze for a moment then returned to making her writhe under me. She was close to her release. I drove my fangs into her femoral artery. She gasped and shook. My lips drank and my fingers eased out the aftershocks. After I closed her wound I turned her over on her stomach barely giving her a chance to catch her breath.

"Omigod, Eric" Just hearing her say my name like that did things to me that I cannot explain. She was pinned under me, she was helpless, and she was completely mine. I growled with the sheer delight of it all. I entered slowly, with every thrust I took myself deeper inside her. Her hands were outstretched in front of her clutching the sheets for all she was worth. I moved my hands from her waist, and dragged my fingers up her back to her shoulders and down her arms until our fingers were intertwined. I increased the speed and she moaned louder. I drove harder and I felt her orgasm build. Mine was right behind it.

"Eric" she screamed. We both shook with the force that rolled through our bodies. I dropped to her side to get my bearings. I held her close and waited for her breathing to return to normal. I was enjoying the moment.

"Lover"

"hmph" she was completely relaxed.

"I have to leave for Arkansas tomorrow night" She tensed up immediately.

"I'll come with you" I held her tighter to ease the anxiety I felt growing within her.

"No. You will be safer here. I may also be gone up to two weeks" She pushed my arm away. I let her. Then she sat up.

"What about you?" I smiled. Thankfully it was too dark for her eyes to see. She was worried about me and she was willing to come along to ensure my safety. The notion of her defending me was ridiculous. Maybe not ridiculous entirely I thought back to Rhodes, and her saving both me and DeCastro from Siegbert. She was just as fiercely protective of me as I was of her. Unfortunately the strength of her body did not match that of her heart. I rubbed her arm as I spoke.

"Lover this is a good thing" I was precariously close to lying with that statement. "DeCastro is showing me favor" She was quiet for a while.

"Will this help with the Victor problem?" I did not want to lie to her, but I was not about to tell her that this would fuel Victor's animosity towards me. I was not about to tell her that I was being used and I did not have a choice.

"It could" It was a response that eased her worries without stretching the truth.

"Come here" I pulled her back to me. Her mood had turned melancholy at the thought of our time apart. That must seem like a long time to her. My perception of time and its passing was different. For me two weeks was not even a blink of an eye but I knew I too would feel the separation no matter how short.

"I know lover I will miss you as well" She sighed and snuggled closer to me. She rose up and kissed me. I wanted to have her taste on my tongue. We made love again. We took our time, each giving the other a way to endure the time apart.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Six**

**My Fairy Spark and My Vampire Bond**

When I woke up the next morning I was already missing Eric. When I looked at the nightstand there was a little note written in his perfect scrawl. His notes always put a smile on my face. It was something no else had ever done.

My lover,

I am finding it most difficult to leave the warmth of your bed. The taste of you is fresh on my tongue and my body can still feel your embrace. I know our time apart will be trying for us both.

I have asked Pam to keep you company while I am away. You should ask your uncle to do the same. I will return to you as soon as I am able.

I love you

~E

Well if I didn't miss him before I do now, and my body was missing him too. I took that as incentive to go shower and cool my libido. Great I get to hang out with Pam. I wasn't being fair. I like Pam and I'm pretty sure she liked me too. She once complimented me by calling me her "favorite breather". If it didn't sound like a compliment then you didn't know Pam. I was just being surly. What was wrong with me? I am an independent woman. I am a Stackhouse for crying out loud. I've gone longer without seeing Eric even after the bond was made. Why was I acting so clingy? After my shower I put on a cup of coffee and decided to take Eric's advice and call Dermot. Hanging out with him was fun and from the way my day was going I needed it. It just occurred to me that I didn't have a phone number for Dermot. I decided to call Claude's home number. Even if Dermot wasn't there I could still rip into Claude. I still owed him for scaring Dermot. After the fourth ring I was getting ready to hang up then Dermot answered.

"Sookie" He sounded happy to hear from me.

"Hi Uncle" I was still feeling glum and it must have leaked into my voice, he picked up on it right away. One minute he was on the phone with me. The next he was standing with me in my kitchen.

"What is the matter?" Apparently he felt no need to address the fact that he just popped into my kitchen mid phone call. Honestly I don't think I would ever get use to fairies doing that. Maybe I was just jealous of all the money they got to save on gas. I finally got over the shock of seeing him there.

"Nothing" I answered. Even to my own ears I knew I didn't sound believable. He sat on the chair beside me and took my hand as if I left my sentence unfinished. I no longer gave it a thought when he held my hand. I had become use to it, not only that I welcomed it.

"I was just calling to see if you were free. I'm going to have more free time during the evenings because Eric is going away for the next two weeks." I was staring at my cup of coffee on the table. I felt like a cry baby. I have spent countless days and evenings alone. Why was I reacting so strongly? Eric wasn't even gone yet I could feel the only distance between us was the usual amount from Bon Temp to Shreveport. Since we officially got together after the takeover this would be the longest we've been apart. I guess I was no longer use to being alone. Dermot squeezed my hand.

"Say no more" He flicked his free hand and a stack of clothes appeared on the kitchen table. They were neatly folded and accompanied by a bag of toiletries. My mouth was catching flies. I felt like I was entitled because I have never seen a fairy do that before. My brain was trying to make sense of what I just saw. He just shrugged

"A convenience" He got up and gathered his clothes and headed for the upstairs bedroom. When he came down I offered him a cup of coffee. He wrinkled his nose and declined. I laughed at the face he made.

"You don't like coffee"

"I cannot believe anyone does" he was looking at me as I sipped happily.

"It's an acquired taste" I remember when I was little I thought it was pretty nasty tasting stuff.

"Even if I live forever I do not see myself acquiring a taste for that" he pointed at it in distaste. I laughed.

"Do you work today?" He asked. I nodded.

"Tonight"

"We will begin your training today unless you are otherwise engaged." Well I set myself up for that one. I nodded and offered him some orange juice and we had a light breakfast. Then we headed into the yard and sat in direct light of the morning sun.

"Before we can attempt any magic we must strengthen your spark; to strengthen it you must first locate it within yourself". Color me confused.

"Close your eyes and breathe. Concentrate only on the feel of the sun on your skin". He waited as I complied and waited a few more minutes after that.

"Now search inside yourself sift through all that makes you who you are: your name, your character, everything" I didn't know exactly what I was looking for but I complied and began looking. I found Sookie the telepath, Sookie the lover, Sookie the fighter.

"Good" Dermot said but his voice sounded far away. Then I felt it. Under all that I was there was a dull glowing sensation. It pulsed but its beat was separate from my heart. It was slower, much slower. It was something other.

"Stay with it if you can" I tried to do as he said but to put it mildly it felt impossible. It felt like I was being torn in two. My body couldn't follow both beats. The internal glowing was too slow for me to sync it with my breathing. When I tried my breathing became labored and I lost the feel of it completely. My eyes snapped open, I was sweaty and I was panting. Dermot watched with a mixed expression on his face. He waited for me to get my breathing back to normal.

"That was remarkable" He was just being nice because I was at it less than 15 minutes.

"I don't think I did anything" I told him. He shook his head.

"You are not supposed to be able to locate your spark on your first day. At best I was expecting you to get a general idea of where and how to look, it is different for everyone."

"Really?" he nodded. That was encouraging. All of a sudden it felt less impossible.

"Can we go again?" He raised his eyebrow in question.

"Are you able? I do not want you to over exert yourself." I shook my head and used my shirt to pat my face dry.

"Okay from the beginning then" I repeated the steps. It was easier to find it now that I knew what I was looking for and the gist of how to find it. It was like that little bit of fairy in me housed the spark but it was buried underneath everything human that made me, me. It was a matter of unwrapping it all.

"Stay with it as long as you are able" I tried but I ran into the same problem. I couldn't dance to both tunes. I was only getting brief glimpses and quick flashes of it. I had the same end result.

"I can't keep hold of it" I told him in frustration.

"Patience. It is only your first day and your second try." I had a petulant look on my face. He smiled and patted my arm.

"You must understand you are trying merge and maintain a pulse separate from your beating heart. It is something completely unfamiliar to the rest of you. Right now it is not strong so it is difficult." I nodded. He went inside and got me a drink and a towel. It was ridiculous that I was this sweaty without physical activity. We took a break.

"Since you are eager I think we should try the next step" I was confused I didn't have firm grip on step one, in fact I was struggling. I told him so.

"When you located your spark the glow was dull and the pulse was very weak was it not?" I nodded.

"The next step will allow you to channel some of your body's actual energy into it. This must be done gradually." He gave me a serious look "Pull too much from your body to fuel your spark, and your body may fail you. This can endanger your life". I was immediately apprehensive.

"We do not have to do this today" I shook my head and found my nerve. Dermot thought I could do this. I wanted to prove to the both of us that I could.

"Let's try" My resolve was strong despite the caution that my brain was shouting at me.

"Begin" When I got the first sighting Dermot spoke.

"Breathe deeply; steady the rhythm of your heart." It took a few minutes but I did as he said. He reached for my wrist and left his hand there as if he were taking my pulse.

"Focus on your spark, now use your next breath to fuel it" That sounded absurd. My body only knew one thing to do with air. I tried to link my next intake of oxygen to that small part of me. I was attempting to create a kind of pathway. Nothing happened. So I did it again, and a few more times. Nothing, I went to open my eyes but my eye lids felt like they weighed a ton.

"Sookie!" Dermot was calling me I could tell he was panicking. His voice sounded blurred and so far away. I felt a sting on my cheek and my eyes snapped open. I was lying on my back and Dermot was kneeling at my head. Then I realized what happened. I had over done it.

"Sookie" He looked anxious. He sat me up and began pouring some orange juice down my throat. I drank then I was able to sit on my own volition.

"I'm sorry" I told him

"No the fault is mine. I should not have pushed you so hard" He was looking at me. When I tried to get up he stopped me. Then after a few minutes he took my pulse.

"I feel better" I told him. He let go of my wrist but kept giving me cautious looks every now and then. We just sat there.

"What happened?" I asked him

"You were supposed to use one breath but you used several and you fainted" I got a clear picture of what I did wrong. For every breath I sent to the spark none reached my lungs. I didn't even notice myself getting dizzy or lightheaded. One minute I was focusing on the task at hand the next I couldn't open my eyes.

"Did it work?" he nodded

"I believe so" That was exciting. I would have preferred not to pass out but at least now I knew what I did wrong. There was no damage and I actually got some results my first time around. I wanted to go back to see and feel the difference for myself. When I closed my eyes Dermot said,

"No, that is enough for today" His voice was firm.

"I just want to feel the difference" I gave him a reassuring smile. He looked uncomfortable but nodded. I repeated the steps and found it in no time at all. Not because I had gotten use to the process but its presence was just more noticeable. The pulse was a tad stronger and the light was a smidgen brighter. A grin spread across my face I couldn't help it. This was something I thought was impossible a half hour ago. Dermot pulled me off the ground and we headed inside. He suggested I rest and eat again. After my shower I had a light snack and curled up with a book to relax. Before I knew it I was asleep. When I woke up Dermot was in the living room with me and he was reading a book. He smiled at me.

"Feeling better?"

"Much better thank you" I had a couple of question for him. There was a lot I still didn't understand about this whole thing.

"Will I always have to fuel my spark like that?" The thought of trying not to pass out while under some kind of attack was daunting. He closed his book and folded his legs under him.

"No you have to fuel it now because throughout your whole life it has laid dormant. Eventually when it becomes strong enough it will match the beat of your heart and it will become just as natural as anything else your body does" I nodded.

"Did you have to do this too?" He nodded.

"Yes being half human my own training was different from that of a full blooded Fae" He looked uncomfortable so I didn't want to press him for the details. I guess he was still having a hard time reconciling the two parts of his origin. Oddly enough I could understand that I have always had a very hard time dealing with the fact that I was telepathic. To me it has always been a disability while others referred to it as a gift.

"Will I be as strong as a full blooded Fae" He was quiet for a few seconds trying to word his response.

"A full blooded fairy will always have an advantage over us" He pointed to himself and then me. "but it is different for everyone. Some people are more skilled at certain aspects of magic than others. With my father it is shielding. With Fintan it was cloaking, with me it's summoning no full blooded Fairy could best us there. With you, who knows?" I nodded. That made sense not everybody was good at the same things. It also made sense that a full blooded Fae would trump me. Given that their magic was in their spark and I just discovered mine this morning.

"What will you do while I'm at work?" He shrugged. I felt bad. There wasn't really much to do at my house I didn't want him to be bored.

"I will see you there and then maybe return to Claude. He may need me"

"You don't have to do that" It was silly for him to come with me to Merlottes just to turn around and leave once I was in the door. He shook his head.

"With your Eric gone and you out at night I am afraid I must insist" It made me feel good that he wasn't referring to Eric as my Vampire. He didn't seem to have the same aversion to Vampires most fairies did. You couldn't blame them though. The scent of a fairy alone was intoxicating to a vampire. They were drawn to fairies like alcoholics to a drink.

"Okay if you insist" he beamed at me. Then I got an idea.

"If we leave early enough I could swing you past the video store I'm sure you can find all types of Sci-fi movies" It would give him something to do that he would enjoy. His face lit up and he looked so much like Jason.

I was pulling into Merlottes for my shift. Dermot insisted on walking me in. Before he poofed away he said, he would come to 'collect' me when I got off and I was to wait for him inside. He looked a little tense and I didn't know what to make of it. Maybe he was just a worrier or maybe my stories were still troubling him. I agreed to wait for him even though I thought the whole thing was ridiculous. If I was being honest with myself it felt good to have someone care about me the way he did. It wasn't the highhanded kind of care Eric provided that usual involved a life or death dilemma. He was just fussing over me. My shift started at 5 it wasn't too busy in the bar tonight. Around 8:15 I began feeling off. I ignored it thinking it was just the effects of my day. The feeling grew it was like a flurry of butterflies in my stomach but with the force of a whirlwind. Physically I was fine the origin of the feeling was emotional. I couldn't pinpoint why I was feeling this way. Maybe I really missed Eric. Maybe he was in trouble. I focused on the bond to find any sign of anxiety. Then I saw what was happening to me. It wasn't me missing Eric or Eric missing me it was the actual bond itself reacting to the distance that was growing within itself. After another 15 minutes I had to run to the back. The feeling intensified and it had spread. It was now like a black hole in my chest and I felt it creeping to other parts of my body. The feeling was pulling me away from here. It was compelling me to go to Eric. The force of it actually made me cry out a little. I knew I was scared. I knew I was panicking. I had to be but those feelings didn't register. This compulsion was dominating the bond it was dominating all parts of me. Tears were falling down my cheeks and I crumpled on the floor and brought my knees to my chest willing my body to remain where it was. I was barely in control. What was happening to me? The two desires were impossible to reconcile and I shook with the force of it as they tried. Someone came in and I felt hands on my shoulders giving me a slight shake.

"Sookie are you alright?" Sam's voice was worried. What kind of question was that? If I was alright would I be on the floor? I just shook my head in response. I had no voice.

"What's wrong?" I wanted to tell him I was going crazy, that my body was no longer mine. Before I could answer he turned towards the door, and then a second later I saw Pam.

"Sookie you look terrible" She had a slight smile on her face. That Pam you just gotta love her. With her presence the feeling dulled, it was still there but it was no longer crippling.

"What's wrong with her?" Sam's voice held an accusation.

"Step aside shifter" The sharp edge in her voice contradicted her Alice in wonderland outfit. Sam was smart enough to do as she asked. She came and sat on the floor next to me.

"Do you have nothing else to do?" She wasn't even looking at Sam as she spoke. He ignored her.

"Sook are you okay?" I looked at him and managed a weak version of my panicked smile and nodded. I knew he would stay if he thought I needed it but I also knew he had my tables to tend to. When he left Pam wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close to her and began rubbing my arm. This was seriously wrong. Pam was not one for affection her favorite past time was a good fight and maybe some torture. It further eased the feeling in my stomach so I kept quiet. After some time I eased out of my ball and I felt more in control of my body.

"What's wrong with me Pam?" Now that the feeling had subsided mostly I was now sound minded enough speak.

"Eric" She said. I looked at her and waited for her to explain. She shrugged.

"It would appear that your bond is much deeper than he anticipated" Oh hell I didn't know there were different levels I just figured a bond was a bond and that's all there was to it. How scared should I be that Eric couldn't take a trip to the next state over without me falling apart? I really wished he had explained this to me before he left. At least that way I could have anticipated the onslaught.

"So here I am playing medium" She said dryly. I didn't fully understand what she meant.

"Sheesh Pam I thought we were friends. Don't sound so excited" That got a smile out of her. She was no longer rubbing my arm but her arm was still around me. Then she stood and looked down at me.

"I need to get to Fangtasia, I will come and see you again tomorrow night" Then she reached down and gave me a kiss on my head.

"Do try and control yourself" She gave me a smirk and she was gone.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Seven**

**Push and Pull**

The feeling never fully left. During the daylight hours it was easiest to handle. Pam had explained that Eric couldn't call out to me while he rested. By first dark I would start aching again. Just like the first night Pam would come and have to sit with me. I felt helpless and to be honest it was embarrassing. For the next couple of days this was the routine. Sometimes she would come and see me before she went to Fangtasia. Other times she would stop by Merlotte's if I had to work. On the particularly bad nights she would come back and lie with me after Fangtasia. She drew a line at having to stay in the hidey hole. Surprisingly she was a good sport about this whole thing. She kept her ribbing to a minimum. It didn't sound like much but for someone who enjoyed teasing the way she did it was a grand gesture. We passed the time like two gal pals. She told me stories from her human life. They made me agree with her assessment that she was made for the vampire life. I told her about my job and some of the crazy characters I dealt with. We watched movies. She enjoyed Dermot's Sci-Fi selections but she also liked my classics. After a full week of this we had found a comfortable rhythm. I felt like I was getting to see a different side of Pam. One of the things I never noticed before was how much she behaved like Eric to a certain degree.

"This wouldn't be as bad if he had just shared you with me from the beginning." She said while leering at me. I rolled my eyes. She was definitely Eric's child. Usually when she came around Dermot would leave. Even though he was only half Fae it was still enough to entice Pam. We continued with my training during the day. It was getting easier. I never passed out again and my spark was growing stronger. He was still holding off on showing me actual magic. Dermot still insisted on seeing me to and from work both during my day and night shifts. Between the bond going crazy and being chaperoned everywhere I was starting to feel trapped.

Late one night while Pam was sitting with me we heard a blaring howl. Immediately I knew it was a werewolf. Pam flashed to the door.

"Stay inside" she ordered. Then she disappeared into the night. I looked out the window trying to get a sense of what was happening but I couldn't see anything. The suspense was making me uneasy. I heard more howling then Dermot popped into the house. The first thing I felt was relief. Then I got a really good look at him. He was dressed in black from top to bottom. There was a belt slung across his chest. It was tan and it had a pretty silver buckle. From behind his back I could see the hilt of a silver sword. Usually his appearance was just as immaculate as any other fairy. Right now there was debris in his hair; there was dirt and blood on his clothes as well as his hands. Fear froze me in place.

"Dermot what happened?" My voice sounded a bit strangled. Before he could answer Pam came through the door. Neither of them looked as alarmed as I felt.

"What's going on?" I had turned to Pam now, but it was Dermot who answered.

"There have been wolves following you" That was a seriously scary revelation. The only wolves I knew not to be afraid of were the Shreveport pack. Only they wouldn't be following me. He folded his arms across his chest and looked at Pam. Her face was an odd mixture of amusement and irritation.

"It would appear you uncle is a shoot first ask questions later kind of fairy" Pam and her sarcasm.

"I did not know their intent. When I approached them they attacked. I may have killed one" He looked upset. I walked over to him and patted his arm. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what he was upset about. He defended himself against some wolves that were following me. This didn't bother me in the slightest especially after they made their intent very clear when they attacked him.

"The wolves were from the Shreveport pack, they were assigned to keep watch over you per Eric's request" Pam said. My mouth was hanging open in shock. My uncle may have killed one of wolves in Alcide's pack. Her face was now its usual mask of calm. It was a good bet that they confused him for Coleman. In his plan to have me sent to prison he had involved some members of the pack. Which got one killed and exposed two others for traitors.

"You should have told her" Dermot said to Pam. I was trying to make sense of this. Why wouldn't Eric tell me if I had something to worry about? How did he ever get Alcide to go along with this? It now made sense that my uncle insisted on seeing me to and from work. The feeling of being trapped erupted when Pam shrugged at Dermot's comment and I lost it.

"You both should have told me. I'm not a kid. If I should be worried I deserve to know. It's my life" I was so mad I could spit.

"It was just a precaution there was no credible threat" Pam said casually

"There was reason enough to have wolves running in my back yard. I should have known why" I was fuming.

"I did not want to frighten you" Dermot told me. I fixed my glare at him.

"Look at what happened instead" Pam had a look that said 'so what?' A nearly dead were was of no consequence to her. It was unreasonable for me to think she should care, but they were here because of Eric. They had all even fought on the same side once before. Was it so hard for her to even fake that she cared? Vampires.

"I have committed a blood offense" Dermot said. That sounded familiar.

"What does that mean again?"

"It means your uncle owes the pack blood" Pam gave him a look of longing as she spoke "and they will come for it" She still looked as nonchalant as ever. That thought didn't bother her either because I was pretty sure she wouldn't mind draining Dermot herself. I was horrified.

"It was an accident, he didn't know" My anger was completely gone and my voice had become hushed with fear for my uncle.

"That is irrelevant" Dermot said. He was looking down at me. Again he didn't look as scared as I felt. That scared me even more.

This whole thing was just a misunderstanding due to a great big lack of communication by my vampires and my uncle. I would just call Alcide and we would straighten this out. If not in the name of our friendship then I would call in the favor he owed. After all I was a friend of the pack that had to count for something. Because blood offense or not there was no way he was going near Dermot.

I headed into my bedroom for my cell phone. When I came back out into the living room Dermot was gone and Pam was sitting in a chair. It worried me until I heard him in the hall bathroom. Then I took a seat and dialed Alcide's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Alcide its Sookie, I'm so sorry about what happened" Despite the fact that my aim was to get Dermot off the hook I was still saddened that someone from his pack was hurt.

"Sorry, is that what you called to say to me Sookie. Well sorry isn't enough" I knew he would be angry I mean who wouldn't be, but his words were coming out in a growl.

"Alcide it was an accident" I was trying to reach him but he was beyond reason. Maybe it was not smart to call him now.

"No Sookie. I want his head" My temper flared to match his.

"That's not going to happen" My voice was icy. "You can just forget it"

"Your Vamp sends us to watch your back and then your friend attacks us" He was shouting at me. That didn't make sense. How did Eric pull that off? Vampires and Weres didn't get along. Eric and Alcide were no exception. Every now and then they would be forced to work together. Even then the alliance was rancorously (previous word of the day).

"Since when did you start taking orders from Eric?"

"I owed him a debt because you acted as shaman for us" His explanation was more leveled but I could tell he was still pretty gone. There goes the ace in the hole I thought I had. Eric's highhandedness should not surprise me seeing that he tricked me into marrying him. Every time he pulled something like this it was usually for my protection. Then I thought back to our conversation the night before he left. He only said I would be safer here he didn't go into any other details. Eric doesn't lie to me. He just didn't tell me everything. In this case he was being his usual bossy self. I still can't believe he would do this without letting me know. I glared at Pam. She looked bored. Then I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Who got hurt?" I asked him.

"Sid" I remembered Sid. I met him the night the pack ambushed Hallow and Mark. He seemed nice enough. He didn't treat me with the same hostility that some were's directed at humans who associate with Vampires.

"I'm sorry Alcide I really am. Will he be alright?" I sincerely hoped he would be.

"I don't know. There's silver in his blood. I'm headed to the hospital right now." That was the only thing Vampires and Werewolves had in common. Silver was both their weaknesses. I heard him exhale I was glad that he was trying to reign in his temper. I took advantage of his calm.

"Alcide you know I wouldn't set any of you up to get hurt. This was a misunderstanding." He was quiet for some time.

"I know" At least he believed that much. I took that as a sign that I hadn't completely lost his trust.

"I'll call when we know more and we can go from there" I closed my eyes in relief.

"Okay" He hung up. Dermot had made his way out of the bathroom by end of my conversation.

"Perhaps you should inform your Eric" Possessiveness seemed to be a common thing amongst the super natural. Normally I really resented the fact but the way Dermot said it gave me a voyeuristic thrill. It was probably because for once it was the other way around. I wasn't being referred to as 'his human' or 'his bonded' he was being referred to as mine. I can see the allure in it now. My Eric.

"No. Eric cannot afford any distractions" Pam said to him

I fully agreed with her. Eric was alone in Arkansas doing God knows what for the king. I didn't want him worrying about me. This was something I could handle on my own. Plus I got the feeling it would be better if I handled it. Eric wouldn't show appropriate sympathy for the situation consequently making the whole thing worse.

"She's right" I told Dermot. He nodded. Pam got up and went to the door.

"I need to return to Fangtasia" She turned and gave Dermot a hungry look. He grinned at her. That exchange was really peculiar. After she was gone Dermot came and sat in the chair she vacated. He seemed to be breathing in her scent. Then he turned to me.

"Are you still angry with me?"

"No" I said in huff it was true I wasn't angry. He arched an eyebrow at me in disbelief and it almost made me smile. The expression looked so out of place on his face.

"I just hate not having a say in what happens in my life" There were so many things I had no control over, like my own body as of late, or like Victor wanting to kill me. So many things I didn't have a say in, my marriage to Eric; the intensity of our bond. That's what I was really angry about. He nodded in understanding.

"I can feel the love he has for you. It is unusual for those who are dead to feel this strongly for those who are living" Great he was siding with Eric and his actions. My temper was starting to surface again. I wasn't expecting an apology but I sure as hell wasn't expecting this. "Even that one" he pointed to the door to illustrate Pam "She loves you too" that halted my anger in its tracks. I was dumbfounded. Me and Pam were familiar enough that I was sure she wouldn't kill me or if she did I was sure she wouldn't enjoy it, but love? He smiled.

"The immortal do not show love the way humans do. It may seem condescending to you but it is a means to preserve that which is already ephemeral. Too often the object of their affections becomes their greatest weakness" By the time he finished speaking his smile was gone, his voice was solemn and his blue eyes were boring into mine. He was trying to get me to understand Eric's actions as well as his. But the warning in his statement was impossible to miss. Pam had said something similar to that before. She told me when Eric was worried about me he doesn't act like he should. The very first time Eric saved my life we weren't even together. Every time I have needed it he has been there. In this moment of clarity I also saw that every time he acted to protect me he was incurring the brunt of the attack that was meant for me. I have never thought of it that way. Maybe I was too blind or too inconsiderate to see it or maybe he did a very good job appearing strong in my presence. Right now it's Victor if we survive him it would undoubtedly be someone else. He would die because of me, so would Pam and every other vampire that was loyal to him. Eric needed to see he didn't have to worry about me.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow I want to start working with swords" Then I turned and went to bed.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Eight**

**Two Big Problems**

The next morning when I got dressed I pulled on workout clothes. Dermot wasn't awake yet. While I waited for my coffee I began making our breakfast. Before I was done Dermot was sitting at the kitchen table. He said good morning by way of a nod and a smile. I returned the gesture.

"You are certain then?" It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. Then he fanned his hand at my ensemble. I gave him a hard nod.

"Why?" His expression was hard to read. I decided to go with the truth. It was ugly but I wasn't going to sugar coat it to him. Mainly because I didn't want him or anyone else sugar coating anything for me. I explained to him where my resolve came from. Starting with the very first time Eric saved me and every time since then. He only interrupted me to ask me exactly when Eric became mine (again I got that thrill from him referring to Eric as mine). When I was done speaking he seemed deep in thought. A sword in a sheath appeared out of thin air to Dermot's right. There was a belt attached to the sheath. It had a little silver buckle it looked exactly like the one Dermot had last night. He absently reached for it and placed it on the table. Obviously he was expecting it. This was the second time I've seen him do this so it took less time for me to recover.

"This belonged to Fintan" He ran his hands over the sheath. There was really nothing I could say so I just stared.

"It is enchanted" Of course. With the supernatural nothing could just be as it appeared.

"My father worried about him because he was slow to use force. Even when it was necessary" His face fell again like it always did when he talked about his twin. I knew what he was thinking even without having access to his mind.

"A part of my father's spark along with Fintan's own blood is housed in this sword. It carries its own power and skill separate from his" He was speaking in a matter of fact tone while I was left reeling. Magic wasn't something I just encountered. But this was on a whole new level.

"It will only obey Fintan's blood." What he was telling me was very interesting but I had no idea why I needed to know it. He was looking at me intently.

"I wish for you to have it if it will have you" Maybe I misunderstood what he was telling me.

"You just said it will only obey Fintan" He nodded

"Yes. It has refused me as well" The more he talked the less sense he was making. If the sword refused its owners twin brother, why would he think it would choose his grandchild? He held the tip of the sheath and began to shake the sword free of it. That was a weird way to go about it. When the sword was finally free I fought the urge to gasp. It was beautiful and really, really shiny. It was almost glowing. It was maybe the length of my arm from shoulder to wrist. There was some kind of writing down the middle from hilt to tip. Since fairies were deathly allergic to iron I assumed the blade was made of silver (to suit vampires that wanted to eat the). The hilt was a kind of metal I couldn't even begin to identify. It had a bluish tint that looked natural. I just stared at it. I wanted to turn it over to see what the other side looked like. But when I reached my hand out Dermot stopped me.

"It rejects forcefully" I immediately pulled my hand back. Right it was an enchanted sword. I shot a wary glance at it. Then I looked at Dermot. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pretty little pocket knife. He raised his left hand over the blade and made a small cut on his little finger. When a drop of his blood hit the blade it fizzled and evaporated. It was the same effect you got when you dropped a small amount of water on a searing hot surface. That was another thing I have never seen before. At some point all this would stop surprising me. As of right now my mouth just hung open. This didn't surprise him I think he did it for my benefit. He extended his hand out to me. I wasn't scared exactly. More like I was really cautious. There was nothing wrong with having a healthy amount of respect for a sword that could hurt you on its own accord.

"This is the least painful way. Trust me" I took the necessary steps to get close enough to him to give him my left hand. Because I was pretty sure he had found out first hand just how forcefully the sword refuses. My hand was shaky. I had an immense urge to yank my hand back and bolt. Instead I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. The sting in my index finger was no more than a tiny pin prick. As he held my wound over the blade I held my breath. We both watched as the first drop of my blood fell. When it landed it was absorbed. I was still holding my breath because I wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing. Dermot gave my finger a little squeeze and more droplets of blood fell and they too were absorbed. I turned to look at him and the look on his face was exultant. He released my finger and I took that as a sign that I could breathe.

"It has chosen you" He told me with a huge smile. I wasn't sure about the proper emotion to convey. But Dermot looked excited enough for the both of us so I didn't worry too much.

"Pick it up" I trusted Dermot fully, but I just didn't want to go picking up a selective enchanted sword whether or not it 'chose' me.

"It will not harm you. I swear" He seemed completely sanguine. With one more apprehensive glance at my Uncle I reached down and picked up my grandfather's sword. It didn't feel as cold as metal should feel. And it was really light.

"What is it made of?" I was turning it over carefully in my hand. The writing on the blade was present on both sides. I assumed the writing was done in the native language of fairies.

"Silver and sky metal" he told me. Seeing I have never heard of sky metal I just assumed it was an element that could only be found in Faery. I ran my hands over the writing and examined it closer. When I looked up Dermot was looking at me with profound emotion. "What?"

"You are so much like Fintan. More so that anyone else that carries his blood otherwise it would not have chosen you" He was still smiling brightly I was happy that it didn't make him sad. After examining it I returned it to the sheath. We had breakfast and Dermot was practically giddy.

"It will be good sport for me. I do not have to hold back when we train" When he said that I almost chocked on my coffee. He patted my back.

"That substance is quite foul" He mused as I was still coughing to clear my airways.

"It's not my coffee it's you!" I was staring at him in disbelief. He handed me a sword five minutes ago and thinks I'm his equal. No amount of magic could make that true. I was human and he really should not forget that. He looked confused.

"Of course you still have to go easy on me" I was almost yelling. When he understood my problem he laughed blithely and waved me off.

"We shall see" He just kept right on eating. After breakfast we headed into the back yard. We began with my usual magic training. He told me i would be ready to attempt some actually magic very soon. After a half hour of that he pulled me off the ground. He stood facing me. Then he began speaking.

"The most important aspect of wielding any blade is footing. Your footing determines your balance; it determines the strength of your attack; and it helps brace your blade to absorb a blow" If I had never witnessed the fight in New Orleans I would have looked at this as a waste of time and invested in a new shot gun. The truth was when it came to the supernatural it was always close combat. So I listened intently as he spoke. Seeing this was his favorite part of fairy training I figured he was having a good time.

"Given your slight form you must depend on precision because you lack brute strength. Mainly you will learn how to use your opponents own force against them" That made sense considering I had never been bigger or stronger than any attacker I ever had. I nodded. My calm was surprising. Despite the fact that I made a firm decision I still expected to feel some anxiety. There was none.

"Today we will walk through basic steps" We began with him teaching me how to attain solid footing. He showed me the proper way to distribute my weight on my legs. Dermot was an excellent teacher. He encouraged me a lot and took the time to explain if I did anything wrong. "Think of it as dancing" he told me. That was something I could acclimate this to. "It will make your movements fluid and easier to recall" We just walked through basic footing for some time. Then he used his hands to simulate attacks and I used mine to deflect them while maintaining proper footing. When he moved his feet I moved mine to compensate the distance between us. From far away we really could have looked like we were dancing. The footing changed from offense to defense. There was the length of his arm between us. When I simulated attacking him my aim was to get in his personal space. Our movements were opposing but still in sync. Of course his movements were like water. But towards the end of my lesson my feet and my hands were moving together in tune. Before we went inside I did some stretches I learned from JB during my physical therapy sessions.

As I was pulling into the employee parking lot I was totally unaware that the sun had set. The force of my bond hit me like a ton of bricks. It knocked air out of lungs and I was gasping. Once I got my breathing back to normal I just focused on it. Pam was coming. I locked myself in the car brought my knees to my chest and locked my arms around them tightly. Tears were escaping my eyes. I had no idea how much time had passed. But the pull got worse. It was just like the very first night but where was Pam? The contents of my purse fell to the ground as I fished inside it for my phone. According to the time I had been in the car for an hour. Normally I would be mad at myself for being this late for work especially without a phone call. Right now I couldn't even spare the mental energy for guilt. I dialed Pam's number with shaky hands. Usually I would have hesitated before calling Pam for help. Again I wasn't myself so I didn't think twice. Her cell rang and went to voicemail. Then I got scared. I was scared that Pam wasn't coming and scared that something had happened to her. My body was shaking with tremors that began in my chest and fanned throughout the rest of me. I began sobbing and I was angry and I had no idea why. What I was feeling reminded of the night Ocella came to my house. My senses were completely confused because of the different signals it was receiving.

"Eric" I whispered. I was wishing more than anything that he could hold me. I kept calling his name. Is this what it is like to be a Reinfield? Is that what I was now? If Eric died would I spend the rest of my life like this? I didn't get a chance to ponder my bond further. The strong yearning that I was feeling was turning into pain. That emotional pain was becoming physical. My hands flew to my stomach and I clutched it as pain rippled through me. It felt like I had been punched square in my gut. I clenched my teeth and doubled over in pain. I was too worn by the physical and emotional pain. So the knock on my window didn't startle me in fact I barely heard it. I turned my face towards the window it was Pam. The second I unlocked the door she opened it and carried me out of the driver's seat. She managed all my weight on her own because I was still in my little ball. She sat us in the backseat of the car. Her back was against the door and she rested my back to her chest. My head was nestled under hers and one of her arms was wrapped around my stomach. Her other hand was brushing my hair back (maybe Pam did love me). Everyone who knew me would tell you that you would never catch Sookie Stackhouse cuddled up like this with another woman. But Pam's contact was like a breath after being submerged under water for too long. It provided relief so sweet that I just closed my eyes. I didn't care who saw. This time it took a lot longer for me to even begin to get control. So we just sat there in silence.

"I am sorry" She said. It was less than a whisper. And I was sure that if the lot wasn't so quiet and my ears weren't so close to her lips I wouldn't have heard her. Then my previous question and concern came back to mind. Before I could voice it she spoke again.

"You will come with me to Fangtasia this evening" Something was definitely wrong. One of the things I noticed about both Pam and Eric was that when there was a problem they became bossier.

"What happened?" She didn't answer me right away probably deciding how much to say.

"Two nights after Eric left Victor came into Fangtasia looking for him. He knew good and well where Eric was but he presumed that I would tell him why" There was a sneer in her voice. I knew Pam. She wasn't telling Victor diddly squat.

"I told him Eric was on an errand for his king. And if he wanted to know more he was to contact Nevada directly because I knew nothing further of the matter" Victor should have known better. "He was also having my home watched. So he noticed I left at first dark every night, and I wasn't coming back home to rest on other nights" I felt guilty Pam was with me on those nights. "He came to my home this evening to stall whatever he thought I was up to" In that moment I would have given anything to have him dead. This was the second time he had prolonged my pain by keeping help from coming. What was his problem? Why couldn't he just leave us alone? We were quiet for some time after that.

"Are you well now?" I had eased out of my ball and I was feeling better. Well as good as I was going to feel with an out of control blood bond. I nodded and pulled away. She deftly maneuvered out of the car. I followed. Pam was looking around the parking lot then her back stiffened and her nostrils flared. I looked but my senses were nowhere near as keen as hers. She pulled me slightly behind her. At lighting speed she slipped a dagger from her ankle and put it in the back of my shorts. She gave me a pointed look. It was the same look she gave me when we killed Corrina and Bruno. I was getting ready to panic but I didn't get time. From the darkness I saw a figure emerging. As it got closer I identified it as Victor Madden.

"Twice in one night Victor, I am honored" Pam gave a deep nod of her head. Even facing the man who could kill us all Pam couldn't help but sprinkle her voice with a hint of sarcasm.

Victor came uncomfortably close and gave a smile and nodded. All the while he was surveying the area around him. He wasn't as creepy as Andre. But he was scarier I think it was the way he was always smiling. I remembered the happy way he talked about burning down my house and killing all the sheriffs of the old regime. So being this close to him in a dark parking lot was very unsettling to say the least.

"Yes I forgot to mention something earlier" Bullshit. His whole bad memory routine was getting old. That's the same excuse he used to keep Eric chained up while I was being tortured. He didn't get what he was after so he followed her here hoping to find out something.

"Mrs. Northman it is a pleasure to see you again" I gave him a look that could kill. My glare as well as Pam's sarcasm was probably unwise. But I couldn't help myself.

"Oh right" he looked thoroughly chastised. He was there the night Eric tricked me into our marriage. He even added his own two cents while we argued. He saw my initial reaction and knew damn well I did not want to be referred to as Mrs. Northman. Then he turned to Pam his usual smile was on his face.

"I require the services of Ms. Stackhouse" He said my name with deliberation as if to show me he had learned the error of his ways. If I didn't know he sent Bruno and Corrina to Kill Pam and me I may have been less disgusted with his innocent façade.

"I have no objection" Pam said. Her voice was calm bordering on uninterested. That made me anxious. I was hoping her reply would be along the lines of 'hell no' or 'go to hell'. I risked a glance at Pam and her face was that smooth mask again. Victors smile grew. "But of course you are aware you will need to contact her husband" She added. Hah. I saw where Pam was going. Victor couldn't reach Eric right now and he couldn't take me anywhere without Eric's permission. Normally I resented that fact. But right now it was keeping me from going anywhere with Victor. Which was just fine by me. Being married to Eric had its advantages. My head was going back and forth between the two of them like I was watching a tennis match. So when she said that I immediately saw Victors smile waver. "And as I told you he is away on an errand for his King" Victor was no longer smiling. In fact I thought he was going to attack us. But then his carefree smile returned.

"Yes I recall that" Oh so his memory was fine now. "You will have the sheriff contact me upon his return" Pam gave a stiff nod. And just like that he left as quickly and as quietly as he had come. Pam watched him go and the farther away he got the more she relaxed.

"Do you think we could have been able to take him?" I asked out of morbid curiosity. After all we held our own against Corrina and Bruno. I guess I wanted to see what my odds of surviving another attack with Pam would be. She was staring off into the distance still. But I saw the corners of her lips pull into a smile. "I would have met my final death in your defense" Her answer wasn't what I was expecting. And it certainly didn't match the smile on her face. Should I be scared or touched? I had no idea.

"Come" she began walking towards the door and I followed.


	2. Chapter 9 to chapter 14

**Sookie**

**Chapter Nine**

**A Different Perspective**

As Pam and I made our way through the back I was feeling a kind of overwhelmed. Sam spied us right away. He had a questioning look on his face I guess because Pam had used to employee entrance. He came over to us. "Sookie are you alright?" I was two hours late for work with no phone call. Given my track record I guess it was safe for him to assume the worst. But I still felt guilty even though it was out of control literally. "Yes Sam I'm real sorry. I was kind of sick" Sick didn't seem like a strong enough word to describe the things that were wrong with me.

"What happened at your place last night?" It was kind of funny how word got around among the supes. Maybe they had a radio station. That was unlikely. Sam was dating that vicious little thing Jennalynn. I figured she spilled the beans. I really didn't have it in me to tell him everything right now. "Long story short there was a misunderstanding between my fairy uncle and some wolves from the pack. One of the wolves got hurt." No need to explain about the gravity of the situation. If I knew about blood offences I knew he did. "Yeah Sid's hurt pretty bad but he'll live" That was really good news. Whatever price I had to pay to make things right with the pack it wouldn't be as steep because Sid lived. Now I would just have to wait for Alcide to reach a decision.

"Sookie will require a few days off beginning now" Pam spoke for the first time since we've been inside. Sam and I both looked at her. Well I looked. Sam scowled. From the look on my face he must have figured that this was news to me too. "If Sookie needs time off she can ask for it" Thank You Sam. He took the words right out of my mouth. He turned and walked away. 'She's worse than he is'. He thought at me. I smiled I knew what he was referring to because I had the same problem quite often. There was no way I could be mad at Sam. I knew exactly how he felt. What with all the highhandedness and bossiness that happens when you are around either of them. "It would have been nice to tell me I would be taking time off work". I gave pam an indignant look. "I will explain later. Inform the shifter you will be leaving" She inclined her head towards Sam. I figured whatever it was she didn't want to talk about it here. "Do you have anyone you can spear from Fangtasia?" It was bad enough to leave on such short notice. But it was worse to leave him short staffed too. We've had a bartender on loan from Fangtasia before. He was a great fit in the bar only he was an assassin sent to kill me. After thinking for some time Pam said, "That seems fair".

I made my way over to Sam who was behind the bar. "Sam…" I felt guilty. This conversation was becoming way too familiar. And every time I felt a certain amount of guilt. Regardless of the fact that usually I didn't have a choice. I've never said,' hey Sam I'm going on vacation'. Evert time I've taken off on him It's always been some Vamp situation or another. "You need a couple of days off" He finished for me. I nodded and smiled in apology. He let out a deep breath and I knew there was a lot that he wanted to say his mind was buzzing. But he just nodded. "Pam is sending over a waitress from Fangtasia so you won't be understaffed" I patted his arm. "I'm not worried about the dam Bar Sook" Maybe I should have just taken his nod and ran off while I still could. "I'm worried that one of these times you run off on some Vamp emergency you won't come back" I was quiet because I worried about that too. "It's not right for him to have you running with Supes you aren't built like we are" You won't hear any argument from me there. If I had my way I would have extracted myself from that world long ago. In fact I would have never set foot into that world. "I'll be fine Sam" He nodded. But I didn't convince either of us. Especially myself considering I didn't know where I was going or why. It occurred to me in that moment how much I trusted Pam. I said my goodbyes then Pam and I took off.

We stopped at my house so I could change my clothes. Luckily Dermot was out. Having a vampire and a fairy in the same room is not a good idea. And their exchange the last time they were together was weird. "Eric will be traveling to Nevada tomorrow morning. I will not be enough to appease the bond." That scared me. "Eric cannot wake without you there. I do not know what will happen to the both of you" She gave me a very serious look. I knew she was worried for me too. But I also knew that Eric was the main priority. Sitting with me all those nights helped soothe him too. He couldn't go crazy in front of the king. That would be bad on so many different levels. "Pam is this normal" well nothing about this was normal "I mean for a blood bond "No" That scared me although I wasn't entirely sure why. "Why is it like this for us?" She shrugged "I do not know and it is not my place to speculate" she got the kind of look on her face that Eric got when he wanted to end a topic. I knew she wouldn't say more on the subject. "Your flight is scheduled for ten; a car will be here at eight that should give you ample time." My suitcase was still in Rhodes. I haven't traveled anywhere since so I haven't had a need to replace it. Depending on how long I was gone a really big overnight bag could work. Worst case scenario I'll buy one once I got to Nevada. She was getting into more travel details when my house phone rang. I excused myself to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Sookie" It sounded like Dermot. All fairies sounded as good as they smelled and looked.

"Hey Uncle"

"Is everything well with you?" Asking him how he knew I came home early would just create more questions that it would answer. "Yes. I just had to leave work early I felt a little sick" I never had to explain to Dermot about the bond going crazy in Eric's absence. He looked at me the first night I came home and gave me a hug. He just knew what my emotional climate was. Just like he had known the bond was crowded the first time I met him. He had a sense for that kind of thing. "I will be there shortly" I was thankful he gave me a heads up this time. I passed the warning along to Pam. I hung up and started towards my bedroom to change. Pam was grinning in anticipation. I rolled my eyes. "Sheesh Pam. Give it a rest already. You can't eat him" There was a little shimmer in the air and Dermot asked, "Eat who?"

I just shook my head and went into my room and closed the door. I wasn't rushing but I wasn't exactly taking my time either. I wanted those two as far apart as soon as possible. The standard attire at Fangtasia was black. Black leather, black lace, and black latex well you get the picture. I didn't have anything that would allow me to blend in. As I was rummaging in my closet I noticed there was no fighting going on outside. I took that as a good sign. In the end I settled for a strapless baby blue dress that matched the color of my eyes. It clung to me in the right places it made me feel pretty and it was comfortable. I let my hair down and touched up the little makeup I wore. I completed the look with a pair of black pumps and a matching clutch. If I was overdressed then fine I didn't get out much anyway.

When I exited my room Dermot was standing and looking none too pleased. He was directing his glare at Pam. I looked back and forth between the two of them. "What's with you" He didn't answer. Pam did. "I told him about our Victor encounter and your impending trip" I briefly told Dermot about Victor earlier today. But from the look on his face Pam had told him some details I either didn't know or forgot to mention. I wasn't going to sugar coat the things that happened but I didn't want to scare the crap out of him either. "He is upset because I told him he cannot kill Victor" Pam was positively tickled pink. "Why not?" The words escaped my mouth as soon as Pam's statement registered. To put it simply Victor was a very bad man. From what Pam told me he was proving difficult for Eric to handle all on his own. If Dermot wanted to kill him why was she stopping him? Dermot nodded and his expression was saying 'I told you so'.

Pam looked at me with a mixed expression. I guess she must have thought I would still have some problem with planning Victor's final death. Well that moral qualm disappeared when he tried to kill me for no good reason. "Firstly if there is even the faintest smell of fairy around the scene of Victor's final death it will automatically lead to you. Second if he fails and Victor lives DeCastro will have to watch as he stakes all of us for attempting to assassinate his lieutenant. This requires flawless preparation. Even the most infinitesimal miscalculation could lead to all our deaths" I wasn't thinking about it that way. I see why Victor was such a problem. He had things working in his favor that we didn't. My face fell and I looked at Dermot. Pam was right.

"If I cannot kill him then she should not travel alone" he was downright indignant.

"I will be traveling by day" I responded

"It is till unsafe" He retorted. Pam looked impatient.

"I can't spend my life hiding because Victor has a problem with me. You shouldn't spend your life worrying about him either." I never really gave much thought to what Dermot did when he wasn't with me. I just assumed he was hanging out with Claude doing fairy stuff. But I wanted him to have a life outside of me and Claude. He should get a girlfriend of a boyfriend I didn't know which way he swung. He looked away and just kept right on frowning. "Listen I need to get going okay"

"May I ask where to" He was attempting to sound less angry but not really succeeding.

"Eric's bar up in Shreveport Pam has to work I'm tagging along" He nodded in understanding.

"You are welcome to come" Pam said with an innocent smile. The thought of my uncle in a vampire bar made me cringe. Dermot's frown was more pronounced as he looked at Pam.

"I do not like you" Why don't you tell her how you really feel about her? I kind of saw why Claude called him as asshole. Not to say Claude was a judge on assholes seeing that word could be used to accurately describe him at times. But to his credit he was working on it.

"I like you a great deal" Pam licked her lips at him. Her smile grew wider and Dermot smiled too. "Someday you will tire of looking and you will test your luck. I dearly look forward to it" Their exchange was getting really weird. I felt like I was watching something private. Pam actually laughed. "Fairy I have no need for luck" Suddenly she was in Dermot's personal space. He didn't flinch. Not even when Pam pulled in his scent and her fangs came out. Pam was shorter than I was so Dermot was basically towering over her. He brought his face down to hers and his teeth suddenly looked sharper. Pam closed her eyes, and he was watching her face. His gaze was intense. It was very unclear if they were going to fight or fuck. I cleared my throat to remind them that they weren't alone in case they chose to go with the latter. They came out of whatever trance they were in. Pam opened her eyes and retracted her fangs. She flashed to the door. "See fairy I do not need luck. I can take you anytime I wish" Dermot rolled his eyes. "Keep wishing woman" He turned to me and gave me a Jason kind of smiled then he poofed away. There was no way I could begin to explain what I just saw. But watching your uncle flirt with a vampire is as disturbing as it sounds. I locked up the house and Pam and I began our drive into Shreveport.

Along the way she filled me in on the remaining travel plans and some of the things I could expect while in Nevada. "I know you have a strong personality but it is imperative that you let Eric lead while you are away" That comment made me angry. Look at the lengths that I was going through to keep from falling apart while he was in the next state over. It wasn't enough that my body practically belonged to him. It wasn't enough that I was his wife. No I had to be a complete Reinfeild. "I am who I am" I snapped. "Who you are will not matter when you are dead" Her tone was just as sharp as mine. "Eric has over a thousand years of experience to your quarter century. It would be foolish not to let him lead in areas where you lack knowledge and understanding" The fact that she made sense made me angrier. By remaining amongst the super natural I was losing more parts of myself and my humanity. We drove in silence for some time. "You are under the disillusion that Eric wishes to change who you are." This was something I have always felt deep down. A small thought that would cross my mind every now and then. The fact that Pam was speaking about it was surprising. Even Eric who shared my every mood didn't know. Maybe it was female intuition. "Know that if he wanted something different he would not waste his time with you" Pam's honesty was on the brutal side but I got her point and it made me feel better. "Thank you for telling me that" she nodded.

The bar wasn't open yet but we could already see people lining up to get in. We used the employee entrance which was becoming all too familiar to me considering I didn't work here. Pam let us into Eric's office. I was half expecting to see him sitting behind his desk. It made me miss him. It wasn't the bond going haywire I genuinely missed his seeing his beautiful face. I missed his smile; his blazing blue eyes; his touch. I missed all of him. I sat on the couch and Pam started getting undressed. "Pam!" Apparently she had no problem about getting naked. But I was not interested in seeing her lady parts. She rolled her eyes and just kept right on stripping. I turned and faced the wall. When I could no longer hear her moving I called out, "Are you descent?" She replied "I'm never descent" I took that as a yes. She had traded her pink and white blouse and designer jeans for a long halter top dress. The dress could only be described as a black dishwashing glove. "Pam I can lend a hand tonight if you want" It's not that I was crazy about serving some of the characters they got through here. I figured it was better than sitting out there doing nothing. She was thoughtful for a minute and said, "If I have need" I nodded and we headed out.

I sat in Eric's booth and I just watched as the bar opened and throngs of thrill seeking tourists and fang bangers came in the door. As usual I got the V.I.P treatment just by sitting where Eric would have sat. As the night went on I noticed I was getting a fair amount of attention. I was flattered but it made me nervous too. My shields were up because the mental setting of the people in here was sex, sex, sex. So my other hearing didn't help me to detect the man that was heading in my direction. He was nicely dressed and easy on the eyes. "Hi" I let my shields down and focused on his mind. If he was a nutcase I wanted plenty of warning. He has a very photographic mind. He had several images of me in his mind. None of them were vulgar. It was just funny the way people saw things in their heads. He thought I was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. He was from Atlanta he was here visiting a friend. His friend had dragged him here tonight. He didn't think he had a chance with me but he still wanted to come over and say hi. I smiled it was rear to find such pleasant and simple thoughts especially in Fangtasia.

"Hello" my voice was friendly. He seemed stuck because he didn't think I would respond. I was woman enough to be pleased with myself for having that reaction on a decent minded man. "Are you having a nice night?" I asked him. He smiled. "Yes mam and you?" Mam, I smiled and nodded. Pam literally appeared out of nowhere right next to this poor guy. He was nervous but not scared. "Sookie, who is your new friend" She intentionally showed fang. Pam. "I haven't had the pleasure yet" I smiled and looked at him to make introductions even though I already knew his name was Bret. "I forgot my manners. Ladies my name is Bret Reynolds".

"How nice a gentleman" Pam said. He smiled sheepishly. I ignored her. "Very nice to meet you Bret I'm Sookie and this is Pam" I said. Unbeknownst to Bret the whole Bar was watching our exchange. The regular vampires in here knew who I was so they knew this scene had a possibility for violence. Violence equals blood and blood equals a good time to any vamp. "Would you like to dance Sookie?" I saw that he rushed the question out so he wouldn't lose his nerve. Pam was enjoying his discomfort a lot more than was acceptable. Eric looked like he wanted to kill Barry in Rhodes for dancing with me. We weren't even a couple then. It would probably be very bad if I said yes. Despite how innocent it would be I'm sure in some vampire regulation it would be grounds to drain Bret. "No thank you" His face fell and he looked down. He seemed like such a sweet guy. I felt bad "I'm married" I blurted out to soothe his chagrin. He could look me in the eye then. "I'm not surprised. Your husband is a very lucky man" I smiled. "Thank you" he nodded his head at both of us and said, "have a nice night ladies". Although he was disappointed he was still thinking nice things about me. He was greeted with pats on the back by his friends I guess surviving a confrontation in a vampire bar was something to celebrate. Pam gave me look that I didn't quite understand. Then she left too.

The night ended without further incident. I helped Pam close up and we left. "Pam, can you fly?" That was something I was still curious about. "Yes" That explained how she got to Merlotte's earlier today. Another question came to mind "What's with you and my uncle?" I just couldn't stop blurting stuff out tonight. She shrugged. I was kind of glad she didn't answer I don't think I was mentally prepared for the answer. When we got to my house she went through my closet. "You have nothing appropriate to meet the king in" That wasn't my fault. I had bought some very nice dresses for my trip to Rhodes that would have been appropriate. I was just about to tell Pam where the King could go when she handed me a Fangtasia credit card. "Spend at least five hundred on an appropriate dress" It must be nice to be able to spend that much on one item of clothing. "How exactly does that qualify as a business expense?" I really didn't want to spend that much money on a dress no matter who was paying for it. "It is a necessity to keep up appearance." She gave me look that said I should have already known that. In truth I should have. A key point in the meeting we all had before Rhodes was not to look poor. I took the card and she took off shortly after.

I packed my bags I even packed Eric's present to me. When he said he wanted to buy me a present I should have assumed it would be over the top. He gave me a diamond necklace and matching earrings. The necklace was Y shaped and made of white gold. It had clusters of diamonds going all around it. At the very end of the necklace there was a sizeable tear shaped diamond. The size of it wasn't obnoxious. It was just right. It would sit beautifully above my ample cleavage. No one had ever given me anything like this. I figured meeting the king would be an appropriate time to wear them. I got ready for bed. The last thought I had as I laid down was that tomorrow night I would be falling asleep in Eric's arms.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Ten**

**Closing The Distance**

Although I had a late night I woke up before my alarm clock. There was a smile on my face. I jumped in the shower and got dressed. When I went into the kitchen Dermot was sitting there already. I really hoped he had gotten over his issue from last night. I greeted him cheerfully. He smiled at me. We both knew why I was in such great spirits. As I sat down with my coffee he said,

"Give me your right hand" He reached across the table and I saw that he had what looked like braided twine in his hand. Only it was blonde. As I looked closer I saw that it wasn't string it was hair. I raised my eyebrow in question. "It is my hair" Well I already guessed that much. What I wanted to know was why I should be walking around with it on my wrist. Because if this was some kind of fairy good luck charm I didn't want it no matter how much he thought I needed it. Deliberately I folded my arms across my chest. He gave me an exasperated look like I was being unreasonable. Right.

"It will serve as a summons. If you are in danger you have but to call my name. It will lead me instantaneously to your exact location. It is effective in any realm or dimension" My first thought was that if I ever found myself in another realm I would just assume I was dead. I knew there were other dimensions and realms probably more than I could ever imagine. In fact traveling through other realms was how the psycho fairies scrambled my bonds G.P.S. In Rhodes I met two Britlingens. They were from another dimension. Absently I wondered if demons were from another world or did they originate from this one like vampires, and were's and humans. If you ask me it was getting pretty crowded here. It was that last thought that made me give Dermot my hand. Additional protection could never hurt. I didn't know what else was on this plain or what else could travel here.

He wrapped it around my wrist and braided the loose ends together to fasten it. When he was done he placed his hand firmly over it. Before I could begin to complain he released me. When I looked down I saw the hair bracelet was gone. I examined my wrist. "Where is it?"

"It is there but it will remain unseen" I nodded. I was glad he thought to hide it. We had breakfast and made small talk. "Do you normally spend time with Pamela" Why was he calling her Pamela? That question took me by surprise. With the way he asked I couldn't really tell if he was hoping I would say yes or no. It also brought me back to their exchange yesterday. "No I don't hang out with Pam normally" He nodded and his face gave nothing away. I didn't want to be intrusive but this was weird. This was harder for me because I was use to knowing what people wanted to hide. Fairies avoided vampires because vampires were extremely bad for their health. I waited for him to say more on the subject but he didn't.

The car was right on time. Dermot came along for the ride to the airport. Our driver was young maybe my age. He was gay. The volume at which he broadcasted reminded me of Amelia. He thought Dermot and I were a couple. That didn't keep him from fantasizing. I put my shields up he had a vulgar mind.

Once I picked up my ticket at the counter Dermot and I began making our way towards my gate. He carried my bag in one hand and held my hand in the other. When we got there he turned to me and put his free hand on my shoulder. "Be safe" he said. Well it's not like I ever got a choice when people wanted to hurt me or when fights broke out around me. His words gave me a bad feeling. Every time I left home bad things happened and I always almost get killed. Always. But I shook that thought away and smiled at him. "I'll be fine you really shouldn't worry so much". He pulled me into a hug and I returned it wholly. The presence of my uncle in my life filled a gap I never really knew was there. He kissed my head. We said our goodbyes and he watched as I walked away. When I turned around at the very edge of the gate he was gone.

I boarded the plane and found that Pam had booked me a first class seat. It was nice. The seats were wide and the leather was so soft. The pilot let us know we would be in Vegas in less than three hours. I had no anxiety as the plane took off. I even took a little nap. When I opened my eyes I was touching down in Sin City. The only luggage I had for this trip was slung over my shoulder. It saved me a lot of time because I didn't have to check it but it was also heavy as hell. The prospect of seeing Eric had me practically giddy. So much so I forgot that a car was supposed to be picking me from here. Instead I took a taxi. As the cab drove through the city the buildings began getting more and more extravagant. There were palm trees; lavish water fountains I even spied a small Eiffel tower. The driver was an older man and he had been doing this a long time. With the way I was looking around at everything he knew this was my first time here. So he began telling me about all the big buildings. He told me about shows that were in town and the best places to eat. He told me the Vegas strip was lit up like the fourth of July at night. That was something I wanted to see. He was more like a tour guide than a cab driver. When we pulled in front of the hotel my mouth fell open. This hotel put the Pyramid hotel in Rhodes to shame. It was so big it could have its own zip code. The front lawn alone was the size of a football field. It had an elaborate fountain. I also noticed the water in the fountain was a much darker blue. A valet opened my door and a bellboy was ready to take my bag. I paid the fare and gave my driver a nice tip. The lobby was something else. There were Roman statues everywhere and there was also a smaller fountain inside. Everything was ornately decorated from top to bottom. As if that wasn't enough I could see that it had more shops that the Shreveport mall.

I told the bell boy the suite I needed to get to. He gave me a nervous look. 'The vampire floor I hate going up there they all freak me out' well I couldn't argue with his thought process. "Right this way Miss". He led and I followed. We rode the elevators to the 40th floor. When the doors opened we were faced with two massive guards. They reminded me of the Berts. Only they weren't twins although they were dressed identically; white T-shirts; black military pants and black boots. They were both some kind of were. The brown skinned one to the left was wilder somehow. His appearance was neat but he exuded a kind of feral energy if you know what I mean. I have never heard anything like him before. His mind moving at breakneck speeds and it was fuzzy too. I put my shield up he was giving me a headache. The set of his eyes was something I had also never seen before. They were almond shaped and they were bright green and out lined with a bright yellow. The bell boy had good sense to be scared of them. I was uncomfortable being this close to them myself. Even though I was sure they could kill someone with their bare hands they were carrying guns. After Rhodes vampires everywhere were bulking up security. I didn't blame them.

The one on the right spoke, "Name" I assumed they weren't just going to let anyone onto the floor where vampires were resting for the day. "Sookie Stackhouse" I replied. My voice wasn't as steady as I intended. He pushed a button on a collar that was around his neck and repeated my name. There was a tense moment as he waited to hear back from whoever was on the other end. I didn't think they would hesitate to kill anyone who was crazy enough to test them. "Alex, she's with Northman in 4005" He finally announced. The bell boy flinched as the other guard reached for my bag.

He ushered me forward and I finally stepped off the elevator and followed behind him. This whole floor was crawling with guards. They were all dressed alike. He punched in a code at Eric's door and it opened. The entire suite was light proof so it was pitch dark in the walk way. When I turned I found that his eyes were glowing brightly. It was scary. He hit a switch on the wall I noticed he closed his eyes slightly against the glare of the light. Then he handed me my bag and left. He scarcely acknowledged my thanks. These guys weren't ones for small talk.

The suite was really nice. But I hardly noticed. The first thing I did was look for Eric. He was in the bedroom. He was resting in of those newer metal coffins. I would bet my house that this one would remain intact even if it fell from this height. I ran my hand over it. Being this close to him after almost two weeks apart eased all the tension in my body. There were still a few hours before the sun went down. Instead of sitting and waiting I decided to go down to the shops I saw downstairs. I needed to find a dress.

After freshening up I headed out. Out of curiosity I cast out my net. I wanted to know if I was the only human on this floor. Turns out I was. There was nothing but empty voids and fuzzy minds. It felt like all the guards saw me the second I entered the hallway. I walked towards the elevator. The strange were named Alex stopped me as I reached the elevator, "Mam is there something you need?" Yes I need you to get out of the way. This was the first time I heard him speak. His voice was deep and he had a slight accent I couldn't place. "No thanks I just wanted to have a look around downstairs". I replied as innocently as I could manage. "Once you are on this floor you are our responsibility until dark" He said it like I should have already known this and I needed to stop being a pain in his ass. "You mean I can't leave?" My voice was incredulous. I wonder if Pam deliberately left that part out. He shook his head. When he spoke he was now trying to make his voice reassuring. "You may leave but you must do so with an escort" I'm not sure what was worse. Being stuck up here or having one of these guys follow me around as I shopped for a dress. I knew he was just following orders but I had the urge to kick him.

Eventually I nodded because I was sure he wasn't going to budge. This was so ridiculous and embarrassing. I didn't even know who to be mad at. He spoke into his collar again and two minutes later two other weres came to the elevator. "This is Alexis and this is Cameron" Alexis was a tall woman. She was very attractive in an exotic way; slanted eyes; full lips and her light brown hair was in a single French braid that was almost to her bottom. She was a female replica of Alex only she was shorter and much leaner. If he was built like a Mack truck then she was a sports car. Their mental signatures were identical and I was becoming really curious as to what they were. She offered me a small smile. I returned it. I was glad she was at least trying to make me comfortable. Cameron was just as huge as the other guards and he was a regular were. He nodded at me but I wasn't getting a smile out of him. "Ms. Stackhouse will be having a look around downstairs" Alex said. They nodded in sync. Cameron pushed the call button for the elevator. Alexis put on sun glasses. They came and stood right behind me. I sighed. This was going to be the most uncomfortable shopping trip ever.

Turns out the shops in this place were on several floors. I figured I would just walk around and window shop until something caught my eye. My shields were up but it did nothing to help me ignore the looks people were giving me and my shadows. I saw a little boutique that seemed to specialize in evening wear. It looked promising. Plus I had no doubt that I would meet Pam's price requirement in a place like this. I went in and a sales woman approached me. She was middle aged. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun. She had on a blouse with way too many ruffles. And her dress slacks were way too baggy at the hips. "My name is Diana what can I help you find today" She was sizing me up. Starting at my feet and ending with my face. Her face looked calculating. I dipped into her head. 'Seven and a half shoe, an eight dress maybe' she just went on and on. She gauged everything from my bust size to the best possible colors for my complexion. She was really good too. She was right on just about everything.

"I need a dress" She nodded. She looked behind me and noticed my shadows for the first time. Her thoughts became incoherent for a second then she quickly regained her composure. I smiled in apology. "Is there an occasion?" I thought about how to answer her. "Yes I'm meeting my boyfriend's Boss but it will be in a social setting" That was as close as I could get to the truth. I wasn't going to tell her I was meeting the Vampire king of three states. She nodded. Her mind was full of dresses. "Will this be during the day or evening" She asked me. "Evening" I felt like I was playing twenty one questions. What was wrong with just browsing around the store for something you liked? But I saw in her head that she was using processes of elimination. And she refused to have me buy the wrong thing for fear of marring her reputation. She took her job seriously. "You have a very beautiful complexion; I think soft tones would look best"

"Thank you" I smiled at her compliment. "Why don't you go into the fitting room and I will bring you some selections" Before I could answer Alexis said, "I will have to go first" Her tone said she wasn't asking. "Of course" So Alexis followed behind Diana and I followed behind her and Cameron followed behind me. When the fitting room had met her security check she let me enter. The dressing room in this place was the size of my bathroom and then some. It had a raised platform and ornate mirrors that provided a 360 degree view. I tried on several dresses. There was nothing I loved.

Then she handed me a blush colored chiffon dress. "It just came in I think it is for you". I looked at it. The dress was daring. She handed it to me. This wasn't what I would have normally chosen. But when I tried it on I had to give it to Diana. The lady knew her stuff. The dress was calf length and had a slit that ran up to the thigh. The material obscured the long slit slightly so it gave off a subtle kind of sexy. It was a halter top but the cut in the front stopped just above the navel. There was very little back to speak of. The dress flowed from me and clung to me in all the right places. She knocked on the door I opened it. She had a triumphant smile on her face. "Flawless absolutely flawless" She whispered. I think she was talking to herself. She brought me a pair of shoes and the ensemble was complete. The total made me wince so I was sure Pam would be pleased.

After I got my dress we stopped for lunch. Well I ate Alexis and Cameron sat at a nearby table and made people uncomfortable. Shortly after that we began making our way back to the vampire floor of the hotel. My shields were up but a sharp thought pierced it. 'There' I heard it and I saw my face in a hostile mind. The mind was fuzzy so I was sure he must have been thinking about me very hard. I stopped dead in my tracks and my shadows stopped with me. I turned around trying to put a face to the thought. But the area was just too busy there were people coming and going in every direction. I felt where the thought was coming from but I couldn't see who it was. Cameron and Alexis picked up on my anxiety and they scanned the area. "I smell were. Not one of us" Alexis said. She pulled in the scent "Three at your four and three more at our twelve." Her head was whipping around so fast it was making me dizzy. I don't think Cameron could smell what she smelled but his mind was becoming fuzzier and his eyes were changing color. "This is a bad defensive position we need to keep moving" He said.

Alexis wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me off the ground. I wanted to protest I've ran away from danger plenty of times. There was no need for her to pick me up. But I could tell she was closer to animal than human right now. She began moving throw the crowd of people with both speed and great agility. Cameron was right on her heels. "Are they following?" he called to her. She put me down but hid me behind her body and I guess she was trying to catch a scent. "I can't tell from here" She was whipping her head from side to side. "Keep moving" Cameron called out. In the same breath he took her place; he picked me up and began moving just as quickly and easily as she had. We didn't head towards the same elevators we came down in.

We went towards a door that said 'Employees Only'. Alexis came and swiped a card and the door opened. There was a service elevator right in front of us. Then Cameron set me on my feet. I took some initiative and pushed the call button. At the same time they both pulled out guns from their backs. I thought they were over reacting a little. But from the little I've seen of these guys they didn't have any other kind of reaction. They stood shoulder to shoulder in front of me and faced the doors we came through. They were waiting for both the elevator and an attack. When the elevator came they backed into it. Their eyes never left the door.

On the ride up Cameron was talking into his collar. He was letting the other guards know we were coming. "How did you become aware of that before I?" Alexis asked without turning around. She wasn't even out of breath. "I heard what one of them was thinking, I saw my face in his mind" She turned to look at me. "So it's true then?" My heart beat hadn't returned to normal yet. I wasn't in the mood for disbelieving looks. I just nodded. We were greeted on the 40th floor by Alex. They seemed to relax immediately and put their guns away. "What Happened?" He asked. We were all walking towards Eric's room. Alexis answered, "We were on our way back when she heard something in someone's mind. I smelled were not one of us. They were setting up an ambush" He cursed under his breath. As we walked I wasn't paying them the slightest bit of attention I was wrapped up in my own thoughts.

We were at Eric's door. Alex punched in the code I entered and shut the door behind me. I laid my dress on the nearest chair and began stripping before I reached the bathroom. The shower stall was huge and over done just like everything else in this hotel. The shower head was the size of a frying pan and water was also spraying out of the three walls in the stall. That feature helped me relax. I really wished people would stop coming after me. My thoughts were in a snarl but after the shower I felt more centered. I wrapped a huge fluffy towel around myself. I didn't bother getting dressed when Eric woke up I doubt anything I had on would remain in one piece. That thought made me smile as I lay completely naked in the king sized bed.

**A big thanks to those of you who added the story to your Fav's. Again I want to give an extra large, super awesome thanks you to those of you who reviewed. You guys are making this story mean that much more! ;)**

**...Now that that's out of the way the long awaited EPOV is right below...**

**As always let me know what you think.  
**

**Eric**

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Ties That Bind Us**

A few rays of sunlight still remained. Through the remnants of the fog in my mind I knew it, I could feel it clearly. Sookie was here. Finally it was dark. I let myself out of my coffin and there she was lying on the bed. There was a flurry of emotions rebounding between us: Relief, happiness, comfort, love, lust. I stood a few feet from the bed just taking her into my senses. She intoxicated them. We did not speak. There was no need to tell her I missed her. I did not have to tell that I needed her more than anything in this world. Being apart for so long left me aching in a multitude of ways. I could not get close enough fast enough. The distances between us disappeared and I was immediately over her. I was struggling to control myself I was almost wild with lust. Our bodies were humming with an electricity I couldn't understand. But it was not at all unpleasant quite the contrary. I tried to get acquainted with the feeling but with every thrust it intensified. I was panting needlessly. We bit into each other at the same time. Our Bodies shook with the force that rolled through it. It took sometime before I was sound enough to lift my body off hers. A thought that wasn't mine entered my mind. It wasn't coherent and it disappeared as quickly as it came. I was positive I heard Sookie.

"I did not hurt you?" I was not as gentle I normally would have been. She shook her head and leaned into me. I just held her close while I pondered what I heard. There were times when I had suspicions that she could hear vampires. I assumed we registered as obscurely as were's or shifters. But I had never voiced those thoughts for fear of having them confirmed. This was different if she could hear me as a byproduct of our bond she would have nothing to fear. She was becoming uneasy because she could feel me deep in thought.

"Lover you wouldn't lie to me would you?" She tensed up slightly. I knew then that she heard me as well. She was struggling with the question because she knew I did not lie to her. "No" She replied. "I heard your mind in my own" I was trying to get her to answer my unspoken question. "Me too" her voice was less than a whisper. I could feel that this conversation was making her afraid.

"I could do without it" I told her with a smile. It was true. I cannot imagine anyone not having a problem with having their private thoughts shared. There were things I kept from Sookie because she would not understand them. There were things I kept from her because it would frighten her. "Me too" She said. "How come you were able to hear me?" She asked. That question confirmed my earlier suspicion of her being able to hear vampires. She was not as startled as she should be if this was indeed the first time she heard vampire.

"You have heard a vampires mind before" It wasn't a question. She looked away. She was taking a page out of my book by telling me the truth but not all of it. I lifted her face so I could look into her eyes. "You can tell me anything" She seemed to search my face for a moment then she spoke.

"The first vampire I heard was you" she was still looking into my face trying to gauge my reaction. Her voice sounded as though she was confessing the worse kind of crime. I was surprised I presumed she would have heard Bill seeing that they had spent so much time together and had a profound emotional connection. She misinterpreted the reason for my surprise and began speaking in a rush. "I never tried to. I never wanted to. It has only happened three times with you then with Heinrick at the trial" By the time she finished speaking she was looking away from me again. "You were right to keep that secret" I told her. She knew what it would mean if vampires even suspected she could hear them. She listened to her instincts and it probably kept her alive.

"To answer your question our bond is getting stronger" I told her. She sat up. "I remember you saying that would be a good thing but I'm not so sure" That made two of us. When I told her that it needed to be stronger to keep her from being maneuvered away this was not at all what I meant. I could have never guessed it would reach this potency. The effect of our separation must have frightened her as much as it surprised me. "It is not a bad thing" That statement was true in context. Telling her I was just as uncertain as she was would alarm her. It has happened. There is nothing to be done for it now. I did find myself wondering if I had done what was best by offering myself in place of Andre. Not just the best thing for me but the best thing for Sookie as well. If I had not intervened he would have gave her his blood but she would have been free of him shortly after. And I would not be facing some very difficult choices.

"How can you say that? I'm turning into a Reinfeild" She was a little angry at my assessment. Of course a head strong woman like her would be concerned about losing her free will. I pulled her back to lie with me. Although I told her that story she probably forgot that I would have to completely strip her of her free will. "That is incorrect lover. In order for that to ever happen I would have to force you into subservience and I have already promised I would not" She thought over that for some time.

"Is all this control stuff done mentally" she asked me. There was a calculating expression on her face. I was curious to see where this was leading. "Yes" I answered. "You wanna know what I think" I smiled she was very perceptive I was always interested in what she thought. I nodded. "I don't think you can force me into sub-whatever" I was enthralled though I was quite sure she was wrong. I still wanted to know what brought her to that conclusion. "Explain"

"Well when y'all glamor people that's mental too and that doesn't work on me so"

"You think you will be resistant to my call" I said with furrowed brows. "Pretty much" she said. She was quite shrewd. She was able to think outside the box and it allowed her to provided excellent insight. Her theory did not seem as implausible as I once thought. This was not a possibility I had ever considered. It left me reeling. Except that the night she saved me from Seigbert I had called her to me. At least I thought I had. Now it would seem just as likely that she came on her own accord because she felt I was in need. I became very eager to test her theory. "May I try" She was immediately apprehensive. "Hey it was just a thought" One that she now regretted voicing. I did not want her to regret letting me in on things. I tried a different approach.

"I know you are wrong but I just thought it was worth testing" My voice was carefully uninterested. I knew she would not take kindly to that comment. "You think you know everything" she said. I gave her a smug smile. She was annoyed. "You're trying to bait me" my smile grew because despite her knowing my intention she would not let my comment go. That was Sookie. She loved to challenge me. "In fact I am so sure of myself I am willing to make a wager"

"I don't gamble" she said dryly. I laughed. "Aren't you even interested in knowing what I would bring to the table?" She looked at me cautiously and asked, "What?" I had her. "Anything" I said that like a man without a doubt. She thought on it for a minute. "Fine" I suppressed another smile. "If I'm right you owe me and if you're right I owe you" It was bold of her to leave the terms so vague. The possibilities left me excited. Prior to our wager I didn't care about being right because I had already promised I would never use such means. Now I wanted to win. I knew exactly what I would ask of her. "Will it hurt" I shook my head. It could if I persisted but this would be a quick test. "Okay" she still sounded a bit uncertain.

Sending feelings through the bond was simply a matter of conjuring the emotion yourself and making it dominant in your own body. The bond would then carry it to the other person. This was very different. I had to focus on the part of her that was within me and push my will upon it. I did this very gently. If she was wrong I did not want to cause her pain. I was commanding her to sit up. She showed no signs of feeling my command so I lightly turned up the volume so to speak. Nothing. "Are you doing it" she asked. I raised my hand to silence her I needed to focus. She gave me a smug smile.

Needing to verify what I was witnessing I let the command reign over her in full force. Her response was the same. "I can tell you want me to sit up" I raised my eyebrow. She tapped her temple lightly. "You are right" I finally told her. "It's been known to happen" she was brimming with self-satisfaction. She leaned over and kissed me. I suppose this knowledge gave her some peace of mind. Her freewill would always be her own. I didn't let her pull away instead I pulled her on top of me. "Do I still get to keep you?" she smiled "As long as you want" she kissed me and we made love again. Her words left a thought that her touch could not fully suppress. She did not mean what she just said. Not really.

After we lay just enjoying being in each other's arms. There was a knock at my door. I was not expecting anyone. I pulled on a tank top and a pair of jeans, and shot to answer it. Even through the closed door I knew who it was. "Alex" I said with a nod. "Mr. Northman" I turned and walked into the sitting room he followed. I sat he remained standing. "I wanted to inform you that we are working on the incident that took place during the day" He immediately had my undivided attention.

"What incident?" There was an edge to my voice. I had no idea what he was referring to. "Your" he did not know how to continue. "Wife" I supplied. "Yes. She checked into this floor around 3pm. She left shortly after to visit the shops. As is procedure she was issued two guards. She heard something" He used quotation marks to indicate she didn't hear it with her ears. "One of mine smelled were and a possible ambush. They had enough warning to return to the floor before anything could happen. We are working with the locals and Hotel security to make positive ID's" Just as I was beginning to think that there was no need to worry. I gave Alex a small nod and he turned to leave.

Sookie came out when he left. "That guy makes my head hurt" she said. I frowned at her. "Did you forget to mention something?" She put her hands on her hips and immediately went on the defensive. "I was going to get to that" I could not be too upset. I did not give her much of a chance. I was still annoyed at having to find things out later than I should. "What is he?" she asked me. "Saber tooth tiger" I replied absently. She was stunned. "Did you hear anything useful from whoever was looking for you?" She shrugged. "Nothing really I just saw my face in a were's mind, I could tell he wasn't friendly" That wasn't much help but I was glad it was enough to keep her safe.

"Anything else you need to mention" She folded her arms across her chest and became suddenly irritated "Yes Mr. Highhanded thanks for letting me know you sent wolves to follow me" She was frowning. I was not going to explain the reasoning behind that. "What happened?" She sat down. "My uncle almost killed one of them because he didn't know why they were hanging around" My assessment of the Fairy being ready to defend her was correct. I shrugged. "That really bugs me you know" She was glaring at me. I felt her anger rising I nodded in acknowledgment mainly because I wanted her to move on. "I'm still waiting to hear back from Alcide but I heard from Sam that Sid would be okay" I nodded.

Under normal circumstances the pack would want the blood of the fairy. In this case I would pay whatever fine they required as restitutions. Sookie was a friend of the pack I knew without a doubt that Alcide would want to remain in her favor. She was still looking at me. Her expression was hard to read. "I won't apologize if that's what you're after" I refused. She knew my so called highhandedness was done out of concern for her safety. "I know" She sighed.

That wasn't the reaction I thought I would get. "My uncle is going to teach me magic and how to use a sword I inherited from my grandfather" The look on my face made her smile. I felt a slight unease at the idea of my woman not needing my defense. Quickly I shoved the irrational feeling aside. Too often have I seen her body beaten and broken as a result of her inability to defend herself. Also the prospect of her fighting was frightening and exciting in so many different ways. "What kind of magic?" I didn't know much about the magical aspects of fairies. She shrugged "Mostly stuff for self-defense that he thinks I can learn" I nodded. "Tell no one of this" this was something she would have already assumed. It didn't hurt to make sure. "Yeah I know"

"I saw Victor last night." She continued. Her tone was no longer light and her voice shook ever so slightly at the memory. Victor frightened her and with good reason. "He stalled Pam from coming to me then he followed her to Merlottes" That explained a lot. "He knows where you were but he wanted Pam to tell him why" He overplayed his hand there. Pam would tell him nothing. "Lover I am working on a few things to fix that problem. I just need time." Victor was formidable but he was not untouchable. It would be difficult but he would go to his final death and soon. If for no other reason, he prolonged Sookie's torture by Lochlan and Neave even if I could have seen past that he made an attempt on the lives of the two people I loved. "Okay" She was comforted somewhat.

I got up; kissed her and headed for the shower. My meeting with the King was fast approaching. After that my task away from home would be complete. I would keep Sookie close and we would leave here as soon as possible. I was not entirely convinced this was enemy territory but it definitely wasn't friendly either. Being at the tail end of my trip brought me back to its beginning.

Since I no longer had a day man Pam had to bring me to the airport. We were quiet the entire way there. I could feel she was tense. Soon we arrived at Shreveport regional airport. We drove around to the hanger that housed the private crafts. The king's jet was already there with Sandy waiting. Pam got out and watched me go. Concern marred her face. I could tell more than anything she did not want me to go alone. Pam did not leave until the plane was well in the air. Half way to Arkansas I felt a pull that could only be compared to the call of a maker. When I was newly turned I tried to run. Ocella did not give chase like I thought he would. When he desired my return he called. I tried to fight it. I did not know then that it was a fool's battle. Even after my will power was reduced to shreds I fought. I was robbed of all desires; I had no other feelings; I no longer wanted to feed; I did not feel the benefits of a day's rest; it consumed all that I was until all other needs were abolished.

The longer I fought the stronger the command became; it infected my blood and took hold over my body. Eventually I lost control of my limbs and went crawling back-literally. That call lasted only two and half days.

What I was feeling now was the beginning stages of that fight. Everything in me wanted Sookie. Her blood and her body were calling to me. That simply could not be. She could not exert such a call. She did not know how. The bond was forged of my blood not the other way round. There had to be another explanation I focused on the bond to find it. It was not her calling to me. My bond with Sookie had reached a point that should have taken several centuries. It was a terrifying concept. Our bond was protesting against the miles that separated us. This was involuntary and I was sure we were both suffering the effects. I could feel nothing else from Sookie or myself, just that overwhelming need. I did not know how she would endure this. I sent a text to Pam. "Go to her"

She would know what to do. She would go to Sookie and at least alleviate some of the need and lessen the force of it. By reducing Sookie's need she would in turn reduce mine. We were two halves of a whole, and right now both halves were calling to each other in a deafening roar. My destination was still several miles away. If this persisted I would not last the night. With every mile the feeling became more forceful it was now dangerously close to becoming uncontrollable. I clutched my seat as I fought for control over my body. It took all of the restraint and discipline I had attained in 1000 years to remain where I was. Every fiber of my being wanted to tear the very doors from this craft and fly home. Thankfully Sandy was in downtime and my bout of anxiety escaped her notice. The struggle raged and I was losing. My hold on the seat relaxed the second Pam was with Sookie. As we began our descent the feeling was manageable but still very present. To say that, that was the worst plane ride of my existence was understating the truth by a wide margin.

That was the nature of my time in away. During the nights it took pronounced effort to force myself to focus on the financial ruin of Arkansas. I met with the Sheriffs of the areas in question I even met with one the King's Lieutenant of that state. The struggle continued night after night and each night seemed harder than the one before it. Dawn was the only thing that brought full relief from the constant pull. The last night I spent there was the most trying. I rose to the familiar ache. Only the relief that Pam provided did not follow. More time passed it still did not come. Pain rippled through my chest and nearly brought me to my knees. Through the pain I could feel myself brimming with anger. I was angry because I felt weak; I was angry that Pam was late; but most of all I was angry that I was already so tightly bound. When Pam reached Sookie it took longer to regain my composure. It was shameful really. I was an immortal who was intently watching the clock. The passing of time should mean nothing to me but yet it meant everything.

**Eric**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Surprises**

When I was finished with my shower I got dressed for the evening. I opted for a tailored Stone Grey suit and a black shirt. After I went to let Sookie know what we would be doing this evening. She was in the sitting room. The light proof blinds had been moved and she was taking in the Vegas strip through the door sized windows. She seemed to be marveling. I felt a pang of guilt because she wouldn't get to experience some of what she saw. Pam told me it was important to take her out places and share new things with her. As of late it hasn't been feasible. I went to stand behind her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She completely relaxed into me and I enjoyed the view with her. "It really is like the fourth of July" she murmured I nodded.

"I will be leaving to meet with DeCastro. Then he will most likely require I attend his little soiree afterwards" She nodded with her head still against my chest. Pam must have given her a good idea of what to expect. There were still some things I needed to make clear. "You will be referred to as my wife try not to take it as an insult" It still bothered me that she has not come to terms with that reality yet. I was sure entering into the union unknowingly was her biggest problem. Regardless it was something I would have done eventually. In fact it was something I offered the night of the were witch war. I thought myself to be a good husband. "Yeah, yeah Pam told me I would have to be a good little human" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. It piqued my irritation on the already sore topic. "What is it about being my wife that you object to so?" I was trying to sound matter of fact but she could feel that I was anything but. "Handing over a knife in the back office of a bar is not how a girl sees her wedding is all"

"So you would have married me in a different way?" My question caught her off guard. "Not then"

"Would you now?" Now that I saw the reason for her not being receptive I wanted to resolve it. I told her she was my wife in the only way that mattered to me. I wanted to be her husband in the way that mattered to her. "It's not really possible with all that's going on" That was true but she was using it to deflect my question. "That is not what I asked" I went to stand in front of her. "If I properly asked you now, would you?" she was forced to look into my eyes. "Yes" she said.

I dropped to one knee with her left hand in mine. I held her gaze. "Marry me, Lover" I smiled. There were tears in her eyes and she nodded. She reached down to wrap her arms around my neck and kissed me I stood and she wrapped her legs around my waist. She was full of joy. Maybe she wanted a choice or maybe this is was how she envisioned it. Whatever the reason this little gesture made her very happy. Her intent at the moment was very clear. It took a lot to pull away from her kiss. "Lover we don't have time" I could feel how much she wanted me. She reluctantly halted her assault. "How long before we get to come back up here" I laughed and set her back on her feet.

"The Kings event begins in exactly two hours. In case I am unable to escort you downstairs, the banquet hall is on the fifth floor" I gave her a serious look "There is a very high likelihood that Victor will be here if he isn't in the building already" she immediately became tense. "With the kings party security will be stringent not even he would dare" It is very unlikely that there would an incident tonight. In fact we would never be safer from Victor anywhere than we are here but I was unwilling to test it. Of one thing I was certain. If there is danger anywhere here it would find Sookie "You must go straight downstairs if I do not come for you" She nodded. Then she brushed my hair and pulled it into a ponytail. After which I was ready to be on my way. She was ogling me. "See something you like?" She nodded without any shame what so ever. I laughed and left while I still could.

There were several vampires on this floor. Some were a part of DeCastro entourage others were staying here because of his party. DeCastro owed part of this hotel and part of several others in Las Vegas. He was doing well mainly because politicians and mobsters in this state were very eager to gain his favor which was expensive. I took the elevator to the top floor of the building. When I arrived at his penthouse I met personal guards at the door.

"Sheriff Northman" they both gave me a small nod. "Adam, Uric" I returned their greeting. I waited as Adam entered the room and to inform the king of my presence. A few seconds later he emerged. "The king will see you now" I spared him another nod as I entered the room. Lavish did not begin to describe the Kings accommodations'. The king was waiting in his sitting room along with Sandy as well as Nathanial Rivers one of the king's Lieutenant from Arkansas. I stopped a respectable distance away and gave him a deep Bow "Your Majesty". He waved me forward. I gave Sandy and Nathanial small nods of acknowledgments before I sat. "So Northman tell me what it is you have found" Sandy offered both him and Nathanial copies of the report we complied. He took it but before he opened it he said "Having things on paper is fine but I want to know what you think as well" As they read I gave them my opinion on things aside from what was listed on paper.

The truth was Arkansas is a poor state. It was poor when Peter Threadgill got it was poor when Sophie Anne acquired it and it was poor now. It was in worse shape now because Peter spent money on Sophie Anne he really didn't have in hopes of gaining Louisiana. When it became a part of Louisiana's territory there wasn't time to do much with it between Katrina and Rhodes. In terms of business endeavors there were some lucrative prospects that should be considered. All in all the state needed some time and things would get worse before they got better. The only upside is that it would be a tax break if nothing else. I worked with a financial and business analyst and we drew up charts that illustrated all of what I was telling them. The kings' assignment appealed to me because it involved some progressive thinking. Sandy offered some of her view points as well. It was almost two hours later when I was going over the last area I surveyed. "Well done Northman" I gave the king a small bow "His majesty is too kind"

"There is a lot for me and Nathanial to discuss, but I cannot be late for my own party" He rose and the rest of us followed. "I hear your wife is here" Every time he mentioned Sookie it made me uneasy. "Yes she arrived this afternoon" Seeing he already knew she was here I figured volunteering more information would be best. "She will attend with you this evening" he meant for it to come out as I question but I knew better. "If his majesty permits" He gave me a small nod. Nathanial had a smile on his face. "I so look forward to meeting the famed telepath" I smiled at his implied compliment. Nathanial was the child of DeCastro. I did not know much about him. I knew enough to know I needed to watch him.

We began making our way out of the suite. I opened one door Nathanial opened the other. Sandy and DeCastro walked through. The king's guards fell in step behind him. Nathanial and I brought up the rear.

There really wasn't an easy way to break from this procession to stop by my room and get Sookie. So I just traveled with them to the banquet hall. It was truly fit for a king it was decorated in deep shades of crimson and gold. There were at least 200 people in attendance. I would say more than half were human. A good portion of them were here as willing donors to the vampires. Some were Celebrities others were Politicians. There was also a decent number of were's in attendance. I noticed Mr. Cataliades. Other than that the rest of the people in the room were vampires one of them being Victor Madden.

As we entered further into the room I tried to distance myself from the king's vicinity but Nathanial was speaking to me about nothing in general. It didn't occur to me that he was stringing me along intentionally until we reached Victor. When Victor saw me I got a second of sadistic pleasure from the expression on his face. "Your Majesty" He greeted the king with a bow I saw he was having some difficulty keeping his usual smile on his face. "Madden" The king said. We all exchanged nods with Victor I made a point to bow a little as he was the Lieutenant of my state. My face was expressionless. What I really wanted to do was laugh at his discomfort but it simply wouldn't do. I noticed I wasn't the only one enjoying Victor's discomfort. Nathanial was beaming.

My attention was diverted when Sookie's scent hit the air. My head snapped up and I turned towards the entrance. I spotted her immediately. My fangs ran out slightly in excitement. It was a struggle to retract them. My gaze was fixed on her. In a Fraction of the time my eyes traveled leisurely down the length of her body at least a hundred times. I was staring but I was not the only one. She was drawing the gaze of vampires, weres, and humans alike. She began making her way towards me. I saw nothing else but her advance. The flow of her hair; the sway of her hips; the slight smile on her lips I was mesmerized by it all. When she was close enough I extended my hand and she took it. I turned to stand by her side and together with hands still held we faced the king.

"Your majesty" She gave him a small bow and a curtsey. Her act was impressive considering how much she disliked these aspects of the vampire world. DeCastro stared for a second longer than was appropriate but I could not fault him. "Ms. Stackhouse" he smiled. I released her hand and he took it and placed a small kiss over it. The king's body guards stood behind him. Victor and Nathanial were on either side of him. Sandy stood next to Nathanial. "Please accept my belated congratulations" he said as he released her hand. She gave him a charming smile and a slight nod of her head "Absolutely, but please call me Sookie" She looked at Victor and tensed.

I took a step forward and held her hand. "Lover you remember Victor" She smiled and gave him a nod. "How could I forget" He gave her a smile of his own and said, "It is always a pleasure" I introduced her to Sandy and Nathanial. She smiled and nodded at them as well. We backed away to find a table but Nathanial invited us to sit with him. He failed to mention that he would be sitting with the king as well as Victor. It was now painfully obvious that he wanted me around so I could be a thorn in Victor's side. There was no way to decline.

After we were seated Sookie excused herself to greet Mr. Cataliades. I suspected she also wanted a free second of not having to mind her every word. There was a line of people waiting to greet the king I sat and watched as human after human came and left. My eyes were following Sookie so I saw the second Nathanial found his way to her side. I feigned disinterest and looked elsewhere but I was focused intently on the bond. She was anxious. Then after some time her feelings moved to amusement. I was curious. I turned to look and she was laughing. "He is very good at making humans feel at ease" Sandy had followed my gaze. "It can be useful but it gets annoying quickly" I nodded. Victor was sitting to the kings immediate right. His face was expressionless that was uncharacteristic.

I rose and made my way over to Sookie she was still with Nathanial. I wound my hands around her waist and kissed her head. "Dance with me" She turned to face me. "I thought you'd never ask" Before I led her away she turned to Nathanial. "It was very nice to meet you Nathan" He smiled "The pleasure was all mine Sookie" I raised an eyebrow at their exchange. Nathanial nodded at me and left. I pulled her to the dance floor and held her close. She was a beautiful dancer. She twirled and spun and never missed a beat. I lifted her effortless and she laughed blithely. It was just like Rhodes. Only now she was mine.

We stopped at the bar to get her usual beverage before returning to the table. _'Eric'_ Sookie called my name in her head. It was as clear as having it said out loud. I did not turn to face her. 'I can hear you lover' She was staring directly at the human that was speaking to the king. _'That guy is working with the F.B.I'_ She moved her gaze to the band and I risked a glance at the human in question. From proximity to his conversation I heard his name was Daniel Wade. He was a little tea pot of a man. _'What for'_ she took a sip of her drink. _'They think DeCastro is in bed with mobsters and Politician they suspect he had something to do with Sophie Anne's Final Death. They think he's a threat to the government'_ most of those allegations were true but they would have a very hard time proving it.

I was thinking of the best way to approach the situation. The first thought I had was to ignore it. I wanted to keep a low profile. The king hasn't forgotten what Sookie could do. However it would be best not to high light it at the moment. Also if I spoke up now our connection would become known that would be a very bad thing. Then again on the off chance this human managed to get close enough to find anything out it could cause a ripple effect that would undoubtedly reach me. _'What are you going to do'_ she asked. _'I'll wait for an opening.'_

The night went on. Finally the king rose to leave. Out of respect all who sat at his table rose as well. As the king walked away I made a point to make eye contact with him. Vampires could communicate effectively without words. The look I gave him indicated that I wanted to speak with him privately. He would most likely send for me later. After the king left Sookie and I danced one more time. I was watching the room for Victor. We continued to dance and I spun us across the dance floor and out the door. Although I was certain it was safe I did not want to provide even the slightest opportunity. I timed our exit so we would part with the masses.

Sookie was leaning with her back against my chest and my arm was around her waist as we rode the elevator to my room. The event has passed without incident I was now very eager to get to the more pleasurable part of my night. I was having a difficult time controlling my excitement. She could feel my hardness pressed against her back. She turned to give me a wicked smile. I turned her around so I could kiss her. My hands wondered all over her body. When we reached our floor I knew human speeds wouldn't be enough. I picked her up and before she could blink we were inside my room. Her dress was beautiful but I had a feeling it would look better on the floor. Turns out I was correct. Unlike our first time tonight I was not as starved for her touch. My need for her was just as great but the sense of urgency our separation caused was no longer there.

Of course having to watch her all night created a different kind of urgency. I wondered if I would ever get enough of this woman. We made it to the bed. I laid her down and moved my kisses south of her body. I wanted to drown myself in her essence. She moaned and writhed under my touch. But she knew to keep her eyes on me. She had two releases of her own and was frantic for me to enter her. She wrapped her legs around my waist and met my thrust with one of her. She took me deep inside her and it sent shivers up my spine. Never before have I had to fight so hard when I was with a woman. Perhaps it was due to the fact that my desire for her was deeper than flesh. She neared another release and I bit into her to drive her over the edge. Having an orgasm is a great thing. Sharing it with your bonded doubled that unmitigated moment of pleasure.

I was lying on my side, with one hand supporting my head and the other hand draped over her stomach. I waited for her to catch her breath. Her hands went to adjust the necklace she was still wearing. "I suppose I need to get you a ring to match" That was something Pam be would very happy to help me with. She would be excited about the things that a human wedding would entail. That was a blessing I never saw myself getting married to a human again. The details that surrounded it were unclear to me. "No you don't. I don't need a ring" I furrowed my brows and thought about it. I was sure I suppose to provide her with one. "Is it no longer customary?" Perhaps that has changed since the last time I was in the Americas. "It is but I don't need one" This was Sookie trying to uphold her image of not being a kept woman. It was something I did not understand but I never argued against. In this instance she would have to relent.

"You will get one" She turned on her side to face me. "The necklace and earring are enough. I don't want to look like your whore" I had planned to reason with her on the issue but when she said that I was flooded with anger. "Firstly I will kill anyone who refers to you that way in the most painful way I can think of" The look on my face was menacing "Second you are my wife. What's mine is yours. You will get a ring" She was poised to argue but she could feel my determination. I would smolder one onto her finger if it came to it.

Sometimes she missed the obvious things. She couldn't see I wanted to take care of her. She couldn't see that I have always wanted to take care of her. In the past I had only given necessities. Anything more would have made her feel I was buying her affections. I did not want to insult her that way. It was different now. I wanted to give her everything she needed and so much more.

I wanted to distract her. "So you are on a nickname basis with the Lieutenant of Arkansas" She lay on her back again and I went back to stroking her mid-section. She smiled "He's funny" Her smile grew "He tells jokes and he knows a lot about humans" I could see how that could be of use. "Then he told me he got stuck in Arkansas because of you" That was something I didn't know. "He said the king didn't send him to Louisiana because he was afraid you might kill him. I guess you must have some reputation" I smiled. I just thought we ended up with Victor because he was the most ruthless and DeCastro could ensure he would do what needed to be done.

"He subtly compared Victor to a rabid dog with a collar. He told me he was an excellent weapon to point at your enemies but sooner or later he would turn on the person holding the leash" Her voice no longer held any amusement. DeCastro was letting the benefits of having Victor in his command blind him to the risks. I was right in assuming that Nathanial disliked Victor. I just didn't know to what extent. There was much I did not know of the history between the two of them. This had potential to be a good thing or a very bad thing. It was true I needed allies especially now but I wasn't desperate enough to jump into bed with just anyone. There was the possibility that it was a trap to solidify my treason. It was also not farfetched that Nathanial was waiting for me to take Victor out if he indeed had such a problem with him. It would be nice if he offered some support towards that endeavor but I knew there was no way he would take such a risk. Even if he did I was certain it would cost me.

We talked for some time about nothing of great importance; her job; my time in Arkansas; the time she spent with Pam. Soon after that she was asleep. I just watched her and thought about how much my life has changed. It used to trouble me that she captivated my attention from the first night I saw her. It rankled even more when I was with other women and I would envision her face. In a feeble attempt to rationalize my attraction to her I had attributed it to her telepathy, her resistance to glamour, and her resistance to my charm. I told myself,' It was the thrill of the chase' and once I had her the irrational desire would fade. I knew even then that it was a great fallacy. Her life has become the center of my existence. That thought did not trouble me. Being with her brought me the greatest happiness I had ever known.

There was a light knock on the door. I got dressed and answered it. It was Adam. "The king has summoned you" I nodded and exited the room. Together we made our way back to the king's suite. I waited as he entered to announce my presence. He exited and held the door open for me to enter. The king was alone this time. I gave him the usual greeting. "There is something you wanted" I nodded and told him all of what Sookie had told me. His expression was blank until I informed him of the human's identity. Although I did not directly tell him the source of the information the fact that he didn't ask meant he knew. When I finished speaking he seemed to be deep in thought.

"I don't suppose there is something I can give you in exchange for your bonded?" Anger pulsed through me but I did not let it show. "No your majesty there is not" He smiled. He knew I wasn't being pragmatic. Reason and love keep little company nowadays. I was not exempt from that truth. When it came to Sookie I was not practical. I was barely rational. The logical thing for a vampire to do in this situation would be to give up the human. I was certain the king would give me almost anything in return. "Yes I guessed as much" He sighed "It would be meaningless to force the issue" He seemed downcast by the realization. "She would need to come willingly" He was absolutely right. He was my king he could have me killed but even then Sookie would not go to him. A begrudging telepath was not only inadequate but potentially hazardous, especially one like Sookie. This was something Andre did not think of when he tried to force his blood on her.

"You will be amendable when I require her services" Again he said it as a question but I knew better. Seeing I had already refused him one thing I thought it best to agree. "Of course" He nodded. "When will you return to your area?"

"Tomorrow night" it was well into the early hours of the morning. He knew tomorrow meant after dark later today. He nodded and with that I was dismissed. I returned to my room. Sookie was still sound asleep. When dawn was close I wrote her note then retired to my coffin.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Visiting The Past**

When I woke up the next morning I was alone. Although the room was light proof Eric was safer in his coffin. I stumbled around in the dark for a while before I found a light switch. Instead of a shower I decided to take a bath. I was a little sore from my reunion with Eric but it was a sweet kind of pain. There was a note in the mirror above the sink. It was addressed to the further Mrs. Northman. That made me happier than what was good for me.

My lover,

My business here is done. I have made arrangements for us to depart tonight. Leave the room if you must but do not venture outside the hotel.

I Love You,

~E

That was good news. Las Vegas seemed like an interesting place and all but I wanted to leave here as soon as possible. After my bath I realized I was hungry. I went into the little kitchenette and opened the fridge. It had nothing but blood. I didn't want to be presumptuous and order room service I wasn't sure who was paying for the room. This meant if I wanted something to eat I would have to leave the room to get it. Leaving the floor meant having to take body guards. I considered starving. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate having someone watch my back I did. Especially after the little scare yesterday afternoon and with Victor possibly in the same hotel but the guards were just so rigid. There was no hope of blending into a crowd. It made me and every other human in their vicinity uncomfortable.

Eventually my stomach won over any discomfort I would feel from having my every step shadowed. I grabbed my purse and headed out. Just like yesterday I was the only human of the floor and just like yesterday it was crawling with guards. As I walked I saw that the lights around the elevators were dimmed. There was also no one in front of it. For a second I contemplated pushing the call button and making a run for it. Good thing I didn't. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw glowing green and yellow eyes. I almost jumped out of my skin.

Alex stepped out of the shadows "My apologies I did not mean to startle you" He took a step back trying to make his presence non-threatening. "It's fine" I said. Maybe he didn't know it but there was really nothing he could do to appear less intimidating. "Will you be heading out Mrs. Northman?" It was funny how quickly things change. At this same time yesterday I would have corrected him. Last night I knowingly agreed to marry Eric. He asked me in the way that I would have dreamt of, if I ever dreamt of such things. The moment seemed perfect somehow. It was done for no other reason except that he wanted to make me his and I wanted to make him mine. Nothing else mattered in that moment. I smiled as I nodded at Alex. "Will you be leaving the hotel?" He asked. "No. I just wanted to grab some breakfast" He nodded and spoke into his collar. A minute later we were joined by Alexis and Cameron.

Alexis gave me smile that I returned it. I noticed she had shades on again it wasn't really sunny in here nor would it be sunny downstairs. She may be covering her eyes because of their jarring color or because they glowed in the dark. I got the usual stiff nod from Cameron. The elevator came and we left. When we got to the main lobby I stopped and studied a map. This place was huge. There were hundreds of restaurants. Alexis came to stand to my left. Cameron followed her and came to my right. I felt really small being sandwiched between the two of them. "You are hungry. Yes?" I nodded. Then it occurred to that I never actually told her what I was looking at or where I wanted to go. "Here" She pointed to a little restaurant that was on the map. "They are the cleanest" That was an important thing to consider when looking for a place to eat. It wasn't exactly my main focal point but I was happy for her guidance. She was making an attempt unlike Cameron who I was sure would have let me stare at the map all morning. I nodded and we began walking. My pace was slow. There was a lot to see.

After walking for some time we reached the restaurant called the Hidden Bistro. The place was really fancy. There was an island with several chefs behind it. You chose what you wanted and they cooked it right in front of you. It was entertaining to watch as they flipped food in the air and caught it behind their backs. I would have been more impressed if I wasn't starved. Finally my sausage and eggs were ready I sat outside on the balcony that over looked the pool. It was nice to sit out in the sun. The balcony was fairly empty so Alexis and Cameron weren't drawing that much attention.

I was enjoying my breakfast and I noticed Alexis was getting twitchy. She moved to the door that led back into the restaurant and began whipping her head back and worth. I was nervous but mostly I was mad that I wouldn't get to finish my breakfast. It was really good. "I smell were" She said. Were's had the best sense of smell but I knew hers was better than normal. We were in a restaurant that was full of all types of smells "How many" Cameron asked her. She leaned further out the door. "One I think. It's too far away it may be passing through" She came back and took her seat. She was still a bit twitchy.

They didn't involve me in the exchange so I kept eating. Cameron was tense. He kept glancing at my plate waiting for it empty. A few minutes later Alexis went back to the door "Tiger definitely, male, he's alone". She seemed more relaxed now that she was sure what was coming. My heart skipped a beat. I only knew one were tiger. I wasn't crazy about running into him again. Since the last time I saw Quinn I haven't thought about him much. Honestly there hasn't been room in my head. Now that I thought back to it our last interactions made me sad.

I paid for my meal and we left the restaurant. We were walking through the mall part of the hotel with no particular destination. I wasn't sure if I was running from a confrontation with Quinn or not. It didn't make a difference. "He's following us" Alexis said. She wasn't as tense as she was yesterday when she smelled were but she wasn't at ease either. I didn't want them getting worked up over nothing. "It's okay guys I have pretty good idea who it is" I was told Siberian tigers were rear. Seeing that there was a vampire event here last night it had to be Quinn. We walked a little further. There was a fountain that had benches surrounding it. I sat down. "That is not advisable" Cameron said. "It's fine" If Quinn was following my scent it felt wrong to run no matter how unpleasant the conversation would be. He must still want to get some things off his chest. A lot of time had passed since we broke up so I hoping it would be less intense. Of course this awkward moment was perfect because now we get to share it with two strangers.

Reluctantly my guards stood on either sides of the bench. They were both very tense. Alexis was actually rocking on the balls of her feet. She was definitely wilder. Her head snapped to the left and a few minutes later I saw Quinn. He looked just like he did the first day I met him; bald head and pansy purple eyes. He stopped a few feet away and he was sizing up my guards. Then he broke into his bright smile and shook his head ruefully. "What kind of trouble are you in now babe?" I smiled too. It was a mixture of my panicked smile and something genuine. "None actually" he folded his hands across his chest and remained where he was. His gaze was darting between me and Alexis. "It's okay guys really" No one relaxed. "Lexi" Cameron called. "Take a break" I got the sense he was worried because he was trying to make his voice placating. He reached over and pulled me closer to his side of the bench. "Hey!" These guys were so pushy. He didn't even acknowledge my protest. His eyes were still on Alexis. I turned to look too. She was trembling where she stood and her teeth were bared. She didn't seem to have heard him. Her teeth were getting longer and sharper. "Alexis!" He called with more force. She shivered a little then she shook her head like she was trying to clear it. "Take a break" He repeated. She nodded and looked embarrassed. Then she walked away.

When she was good and gone Quinn came and sat with me. We didn't say anything for a while. We just watched the fountain and the people that passed. "Cameron do you think you can give us some privacy?" I didn't think it possible but I hoped. He looked at the surrounding area before he answered. "I have to maintain a visual but I will be out of earshot" God bless him. He was being understanding. Probably not mostly likely he could sense what was brewing and wanted to be far from it. It was doubtful emotional protection was part of his job description. He walked away and sat on a bench that was on the other side of the fountain. That was one problem down time to face the other. I wondered why I was doing this. I would have been happy never seeing or hearing from Quinn again after what happened. I was thinking about what had changed since then. As soon as the answer came to me Quinn spoke.

"I'm sorry" He still wasn't looking at me. He had never said those words to me after everything that passed between us. It wouldn't have made a difference with us not being together. What I told him was true. I wanted to come first. But those words would have shown he understood my position and what I was feeling same as I understood his. I knew he felt sorry hell we both did but it never showed through all his anger and my betrayal. "I don't regret the choice I made. I regret the hurt it caused" He turned to look at me then. "We all have to make the best decisions for us and the people we love" His eyes looked aged. I felt saddened for him. He was a victim of his circumstances and he always would be. "Nine out of ten times its easy as pie" He gave a little laugh that held no real amusement. "Then there's that one time" He shook his head slightly. "When the best things to do for the people you love is the complete opposite of what you want most"

I nodded. He seemed to have accepted what I had told him. In that moment I knew that Quinn was right. I had been harder on him. It was because I hoped to love him. It was because I saw a chance at a somewhat normal life with him. When we met I was already jaded. At that time I had so little trust left to give and he had to betray the little I extended to him. The truth was if he hadn't chose his family he wouldn't have been the man I thought he was. I had left Quinn no way to win with me and I told him so. I couldn't read his face he was looking at the fountain. He just nodded. "I can see how Eric is the best thing for you but is he what you want?" Normally I would have told him that was none of his business. Right now we were closing a chapter and we had to do it properly. "Yes" he nodded.

We were quiet again just letting the dust settle. "Can you tell me why you are hanging around with a saber tooth tiger and a snow leopard?" So Cameron was a snow leopard. Being in the dessert must have been what made him so crabby. I shrugged my shoulders. "It wasn't my idea hotel policy" I said dryly. He laughed. My tone was petulant. I shook my head at the absurdity of it all. We talked about how life had been for us since we last really spoke to each other. He told me about some of the events he had orchestrated: A witch's ascension, a demon's birthday, a pack master contest. He was really busy but he said that was a good thing. I was happy to hear he was content. We talked about my life.

Obviously there were things I couldn't tell him but I was honest with the things I did tell him. He asked about Calvin and Sam and Alcide and Jason. Our conversation was nowhere near as horrible as I anticipated. I didn't even notice that we had been sitting there for almost two hours.

Quinn got up and I followed. He looked across the fountain and I saw that Alexis had returned she was perched on the bench Cameron was sitting on. Quinn looked at her and shook his head it seemed deliberate as if he was answering a question. Then he turned to look down at me. "I have to go" I nodded. I didn't know what you did with ex's. Did you shake hands or hug or just wave goodbye? I had no idea. Quinn reached for my hand and squeezed it. "Take care babe" His expression was hard to read. "You too Quinn" We smiled at each other then he turned and walked away I noticed he gave Alexis a wide berth as he left. Once Quinn left my shadows returned to my side. We began walking and I decided to use the ladies room. I wasn't sure if I was going back to the room just yet. Of course Alexis came along.

"I wish to make him mine" I could see her reflection in the mirror as I washed my hands. I was confused. "Who" I was sure I missed something. "The tiger" her voice was wistful. My mouth fell open. She looked like she was ready to rip Quinn to shreds when she saw him. She brought her long braid over her shoulder. I noticed it was a little wet. She began playing with it. Now I was positive I missed something. "You looked like you wanted to kill him" There was an edge to my voice. I didn't want Quinn, far from it. I had a problem that she wanted to hurt him. "I would never" She said defensively. "I am in heat. His scent made me…" She shrugged. I looked away this was way too much information. That explained why her hair was wet. "Why are you telling me this?" I had no idea what she expected me to do or say, and I couldn't read her mind. I was completely lost. "You know him" she was looking at me intently. I nodded. Then it clicked. I raised both my palms to halt the thought in its tracks. "That is so not my place" I have been in the middle of a were coupling and ended up having to break my friend's hand. There was no way I would play match maker.

"You care for him" She said with certainty. "Yeah but" I didn't know how to continue. This was just so weird. I appreciated her being nice to me, I even appreciated the honesty but I didn't know her well enough to be talking about stuff like this. Sometimes I wish supes showed some of the same scruple as regular people. Conversations like this would never arise "I will make an exceptional mate" She stood straighter as if making a case for herself. If she was she was talking to the wrong person. I had zero influence over Quinn and that's the way I liked it. "I will protect him. I will bare him children and they will be mighty" Her nostrils flared and anyone could see she was completely enamored. This was crazy. Then something she said caught my attention. "How do you figure he would need your protection?" I have seen Quinn in his tiger form and let me tell you he could manage just fine. She smiled and suddenly looked proud. "When I shift I am 8ft long and over 500 pounds" That was larger than he got, maybe she could protect him.

I took a deep breath. She didn't know anything about him or if he wanted the same things she did. Then again the two natured didn't look at reproduction the same way as humans. "I'm sure you will but I don't see what I have to do with it" She shook her head. "He is under the impression I only wish to breed" That must have been what he had shaken his head at. I wondered if Quinn would be interested if he knew she wanted more than his genetic material "You want me to tell him otherwise?" Her face was hopeful and she nodded.

"Why can't you do it?" I really didn't want anything to do with this but I already felt myself getting sucked in. I looked at her trying to gauge if she would be Quinn's type. I gave up. What did I know? He may want all the same things she did. There was no harm in delivering a message, right? She looked down slightly embarrassed. "It is not safe at the moment" I sighed. "Okay. I'll tell him but that's it" She broke out into a big smile. "I am in your debt" I couldn't be as sullen at the part I agreed to play. She looked happy.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at our very long bathroom break but otherwise remained his usual stoic self. We walked around a little bit more. I stopped inside a store that reminded me of Tara's togs. I lucked out and found a couple of cute dresses at very reasonable prices. They were dressy but not too formal. I haven't treated myself to anything unnecessary for some time. I can think of a couple of reason why I deserved it too. I also bought a suitcase. Shortly after we began making our way back upstairs I had to start packing.

Before I went into my room Alexis gave me meaningful look. Might as well get this out of the way when I got into the room I called Quinn. I was hoping he wouldn't pick up but of course he did. "Hi Quinn, its Sookie" He probably knew that but it was a good way to start. "Hey babe" I really wished he'd stop calling me that. It really no longer applied. "What's up?" his tone was curious. There was really no easy way to say this. "Listen, you know the girl I was with?" There was a pause. "Yeah" he said it like a question. I closed my eyes and just spat it out. "She says she likes you" She said a lot more than that but there was no way I was going to repeat any of it. He was quiet for so long I wondered if he was still on the line. "Hello?"

"I'm not interested in breeding" he replied. "She says she wants more than that"

"Right" He sounded like I was selling him a pipe dream. "She really seemed to like you" It was a strange thing to defend another woman's intentions to your ex but in for a penny in for a pound. "She's in heat that's it" He sounded like this was upsetting him. It seemed to be more than that to me. Call it women's intuition. But I wasn't going to argue with him. I delivered the message the end. "If you say so" He let out a deep breathe. "You know this is weird right?" we laughed because weird didn't seem like a strong enough word. We were at it for a good minute "If you really believe her. You can give her my number" That made me uneasy. Why couldn't he just give me a yes or no answer? After a second of deliberation I said, "Okay" There was a chance that this could be a disaster but for right now I felt hopeful. We said our goodbyes and I got off the phone.

I wrote Quinn's number as neatly as I could on a piece of hotel stationary. Then I went into the hall to find Alexis. Alex spotted me. "Are you heading out again?" I shook my head. "I wanted to speak with Alexis" He was her brother if not her twin. I wasn't going to get into details. He cocked his head to one side. "This is about the tiger?" Well I guess he already knew. I nodded. He gave a strange little bark and Alexis came running. She stood next to Alex and I just had to ask. "Are you guy's twins?"

"No. We are quadruplets" Alexis said absently. She was eager to hear how her message was received. I was looking at her brother and hoped he would scoot but he didn't take a hint. "Listen you meant what you said right?" I didn't want her to hurt Quinn in any sense. I let my shields down and focused on her mind to catch any dishonesty. It was useless. "Oh yes" she nodded vigorously. Call me a sucker but I believed her. "Here" I handed her the piece of paper. She took it and I could tell she was committing the digits to memory. She broke into a big smile that lit her face. Alex had a small smile on his face too. I didn't think he knew how to smile. As I was walking away I heard Alex say, "Return to your post cub" There was kind of low growl mixed with a giggle. I turned to find Alexis in a head lock and her brother was laughing as she struggled against his hold. If she was the only girl among three of those I had no doubt she was tough as nails maybe tough enough to hold her own in Quinn's life.

**Eric**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**A Setback**

When I rose my immediate thoughts were on my departure. I went directly to the shower. Sookie was sitting on the sink top with a towel when I finished. "Thank you lover" She gave me a voyeuristic smile. "My pleasure turn around I'll help you dry your hair" I rolled my eyes. Her assistance in that task was not fully selfless. I remembered my bottom was her favorite part of my body. I leaned my back into her and caught scent of the tiger. It was faint. It came from prolonged exposure and slight contact. The ban I placed on Quinn only applied in my area. If he ran into Sookie anywhere else he was free to harass her. If I wasn't present that is. Due to the king's event I knew there was a possibility he would be here. I had hoped that since we did not run into him last night we would not run into him at all. She did not seem at all upset or tense. It was for that reason I decided not to bring up the matter. If she wanted to tell me she would do so. On the other hand I was not sure how I would feel if she did not. The truth was I wanted to kill him. He served Louisiana on a platter to DeCastro and in doing so he betrayed her trust. It was also true he did not owe or swear fealty to the Queen. It was the principal of the matter. Also I disliked him a greatly for my own personal reasons.

"I left some clothes on the bed for you. I packed everything else" While I got dressed she heated a blood for me. Sharing a home with her was something I could not wait for. It was more than just having her do the simple things for me. The appeal was in the idea of her being the first and last thing my senses were exposed to. I kissed her as she handed me my blood. She smiled. "What was that for?" I shrugged. "Thank you" She leaned further into me and wrapped her arms around my waist. Before we could get carried away there was a knock on the door. I knew it was the concierge from Anubis. She groaned slightly in disappointment then she went to answer it. She showed them to our bags. While they gathered our belongings I finished my meal. Closing the door to the hotel room for the last time meant closing the door on the last two weeks.

The elevators arrived but before we could board another one arrived next to it. Uric stepped out. The look on his face told me our flight had been cancelled. Sookie's hand was in mine and her grip tightened as she picked up on my anxiety. "Uric" I said by way of greeting. There was a chance that he was on this floor for some other business. It was wishful thinking. "The king has requested your presence" He was not surprised to find me ready to leave. There was no need to mention the obvious. I turned to Sookie. "Please show them to the room" 'And stay there' I added mentally. The two humans from Anubis had dealt with vampire enough to keep quiet and do as they were told. She looked nervous but nodded. "She has been summoned" Uric said. I glared at him. "Of course you are to accompany her" I nodded "We will be there momentarily" He nodded but remained where he was. Then Sookie and I turned to return to our room with our luggage in toe.

While our belongings were being unloaded my thoughts were racing. Sookie took care of cancelling our plans. When the concierge left she came to stand in front of me. It was not until then that I realized I was pacing. "Eric, should I be scared?" She asked that question looking for reassurance because I could tell she was already anxious. I did not have a habit of lying to her now would be a poor time to start. She needed to be ready for whatever was waiting for us. "I don't know yet" With that her anxiety raised a few octaves. I regretted telling her the truth. I wanted to comfort her. I chided myself "Focus Eric"

I went over to my coffin and opened a hidden compartment and fished out a little silver dagger. I went over to her and concealed it under her dress. That action made her more afraid. "Listen to me" I seized both her shoulders. "Calm down" Her anxiety was making it hard for me to think clearly. She took a few deep breaths. "You must do what I say when I say" Normally she would have argued with that statement. She could sense the situation called for a vampire approach so she nodded. Nothing had changed since last night except the king may have reconsidered forcing the issue. In which event this would be a very bad night. If DeCastro wanted to kill me there was very little I could do about it. Being alone in his state just meant no one else loyal to me would die as well. The Louisiana vampires from the old regime were barely evenly matched in numbers against Victor's people. Against the King and Victor we would be slaughtered. With that I was resolved.

"Relax" I flooded the bond with calm feelings and her anxiety became negligible. I smiled and took her hand and we headed back out. Uric was still in front of the elevator. We boarded the elevator instead of going up we headed down. "The king is at one of his other venues" He told us. I nodded. We walked through the lobby and out of the main entrance of the hotel. There was a black sedan waiting for us. He opened the rear door Sookie entered and I followed. He sat in the passenger side while another vampire drove. As we drove through the night I realized we were not heading towards the dessert. That would have solidified my death sentence. Instead we drove through the strip. I pointed out several landmark and popular locations to Sookie. She looked around half interested. Although she was no longer anxious she was alert.

We only drove for fifteen minutes then we arrived at a club called 'Heaven'. The line at the door wound around the building. A public place was not ideal if you wanted to do away with someone. The crowd did not make me complacent. I opened my door and helped Sookie out of the car. Uric walked us to the front of the line and we were immediately ushered in. Sookie was distracted by the amount of activity in the club. There were flashing lights and artificial fog in the air. The music was at deafening volumes. The nude waitresses were decorated with glowing body paint. I barely registered all that. There were at least seven vampires on the floor minus Uric. I noticed we were being led through the club away from any seating area. Chances are the king was in a back office somewhere.

We reached a door that had two vampire guards in front of it. They stood aside and opened the door for us. Sookie flinched as the door shut behind us. There was no going back now. Not that we ever really had a choice. In the vampire chain of command request was a polite way to say summon. Summon was a nice way to say ordered. 'You will be fine' I thought. She wrapped her arms around mine but made no other response. We reached another door and Adam was standing in front of it. I knew DeCastro was on the other side of it. 'The guy I told you about last night is here' it now made sense. This was not about me or Sookie. Uric replaced Adam at the door as he went to announce our presence. He reappeared a moment later and held the door open for us.

The room was small with dim lighting. It was originally built for storage. It had been transformed for interrogation. The King was sitting in chair on the right with Nathaniel behind him. There were two other vampires in the room I did not know. The human in question was sitting in the middle of the room. He was bound to a chair. From the look and smell of him he never made it home last night. He had been tortured. Sookie froze when she saw him and terror pulsed through her. Torture was something she herself had been a victim of. Being this close to it in any capacity brought her back to that dark place and time. She was very close to panic. Her heart rate had accelerated and the color had drained from her face. She was looking around her, searching for an escape. Ignoring the vampires in the room I pulled her into my chest to block her view of the half dead human. 'I know. I know. But you have to hold it together' I was shushing her at the same time to suppress the panic I felt growing.

"There is something wrong with your wife?" The King asked. I turned to face him with Sookie's face still buried in my chest. Nathaniel spoke. "Master most humans do not have the stomach for this" He pointed at the other human in the room. No one else in the room even batted an eye lash at the bloody mass in the chair. "She is not weak. I have witnessed that truth" He was directing his gaze at me. He was referring to her impromptu recuse the night Seigbert attacked us. Even before that he had heard stories of her heroics at Rhodes.

"She had a run in with Lochaln and Neave during the Fae war" I said. There are very few vampires who didn't know of those two. Very few who had crossed their path lived. Everything they killed, they killed slowly. They did things even the most savage of our kind would not. The king nodded. Not in understanding more like I just proved his point. Sookie pulled away but stood with her back against me. The king smiled. Nathaniel looked impressed. "Its fine I was surprised is all" she took a step forward. Her demeanor belied the turmoil within. She still very much wanted to leave. One of the vampires in the room brought her a chair. She sat and I stood behind her.

"What do you want to know?" She asked. Her tone was business like. It was impressive. I was proud. "Everything he was sent here to do" She nodded and turned to face the human. "Daniel can you hear me?" Her voice was soft. She felt sorry for him. He looked at her. "Please don't let them kill me" it was because of humans like him that no super natural creature respected the entire species. If the vampires in the room wanted to kill him there was nothing a breezy human woman could do about it. He was a sniveling coward. He had been enjoying the benefits of being in with vampires while plotting to betray them. He knew the risks. He had gambled and he had lost.

She stood up and moved her chair next to his. I went to stand behind her but the man cringed and I knew to keep my distance just to make her task easier. "Listen buddy. You are in a whole lot of trouble I'm not sure what I can do about it" He began sobbing. Vermin. "Tell me everything and it may be easier" He looked at her. "They'll kill me the second I do" He didn't know that whatever he was hiding was already known. She was focused on him intently for several minutes then she turned from him and faced the king.

"You are going to kill him?" It wasn't a question. The king looked amused. 'Whatever you are thinking don't' When she began working for vampires this was one of her terms. It hardly applied here. She had done as the king commanded we should leave and leave this human to his fate. The vampires I did not know actually smiled. "Is there a reason I should not?" I was pouring caution in the bond. "He's not alone" Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "The other person is Nina Palmer" Nathanial's face hardened. The name obviously meant something to him. The human began wailing. The only bit of leverage he had been clinging to had disappeared. Everyone ignored him.

When she continued her voice was slightly elevated over the noise. "She was sent to watch for any back door dealings" The king's eyes narrowed. He had a number of illegitimate venues. "Shut up! Shut up!" Daniel cried. That earned him a glare from everyone in the room, and a slap from one his captors. Sookie turned to face him "Mister I'm trying to save your life, right now I'm sorely tempted to abandon that campaign" Her tone was sharp. Whatever she had seen in his mind had erased any pity she had felt for him. He shook his head. "No, sorry" He silenced himself completely and watched as she bargained for his future

"The way I figure someone you trust could give them blood. Then glamor them and they'll go back and report whatever you want. That way you control the situation" All eyes were on her. "I bet he can help you watch for other types of useful stuff from the inside" She turned to face Daniel again.

"Who do you report to?" He was staring at her. His expression was a mixture of fear and admiration. "What are you?"

"I'm the person trying to save your ass" My lip twitched as I fought a smile. It was apparent she disliked him. "Agent Ramos" Daniel said. "I report to him every Tuesday at dawn" He must have decided that it was now in his best interest to volunteer as much as possible. "If you glamour them you have to make sure that he remembers 'Connor978'" Daniel nodded in agreement. "It's a way for them to be sure his memories haven't been tampered with"

After she made that offer the room was dead quiet. She looked around a bit uncertain. The king nodded then she continued with the details of all she had found out. DeCastro had drawn their attention when he took over Louisiana. The spies had managed to root themselves deeply in his affairs in a short amount of time. They were humans so they were seen as posing very little threat. Fortunately not much damaged had been done. When she had finished her report the king looked deep in thought. Then he finally spoke.

"Antonio you will do as she suggested" The vampire being addressed bowed and left taking Daniel with him. Sookie watched as they left her forehead was creased in worry. I did not understand humans at times. Clearly she disliked him. Why should it matter whether he lived or not? "Your reputation precedes you" Nathaniel said. The king nodded in assent. "Your value is more than your telepathy I think" That realization seemed to surprise him. "Thanks I think" She gave a deep nod of her head. Nathaniel smiled brightly at her slightly sarcastic reply. "Nathaniel will arrange it. The rest of the humans in my court need to be screened" Sookie turned to me. "When?" I asked. Nathanial answered. "I need to check with Sandy but most likely tomorrow night" I nodded. The king was giving Sookie an appraising look. He would kill me here and now if he thought she would be receptive to him. "Qué lástima" He whispered. Nathaniel nodded.

On our way out Nathaniel spoke, "This is your first time in Vegas Sookie?" She nodded "We must make it memorable" He was smiling. Typically any inquiries about a human would be directed at their vampire. He was very good at what he did. He was up to the times in human etiquette. Directing his questions at her showed he respected her and made her feel at ease. "I don't think I can but thank you" I could tell she was conflicted. This was a chance for her to experience something new. Our flight was long gone. If we were around Nathaniel we would remain safe in this state. I saw no other reason not to. "You have to at least see why it's called Sin city" I said with a smile. She nodded hesitantly but I could feel she was excited. We left the club with plans to rendezvous later.

Once we got back in the hotel room Sookie began looking in her bag for a change of clothes "Where do you think we'll go?" There were only a few things to do in Vegas. None of which interested me. I have been here many years ago. The people changed but it was all the same. "A show, the Casino" As an afterthought I added, "strip club" She turned to look at me. I had a smirk on my face. "You would be okay with me watching other people get naked?" I shrugged. "I know you want only me" She pulled off her dress and handed my knife back to me. "That's true"

"The thought of you fighting makes me…" I kissed her deeply. "Horny" She supplied. I nodded. "Exactly" We spent the next half hour satisfying that need. Then we got dressed for our evening out. There was a knock at the door I was expecting word from Nathaniel but when I approached I realized it was Alex. I did not spy any of the daytime guards on the floor when he left earlier. When I opened the door I found it wasn't Alex but the female saber tooth tiger. She wasn't dressed in the usual uniform. "Mr. Northman" I gave her a nod and stepped aside for her to enter.

Her appearance here was curious. She followed me into the sitting room. Sookie came out. "Hey Alexis"

"Hello my friend" Her greeting was familiar and she gave Sookie a smile. I looked between the two of them I was missing something. Then she turned to face me. "Alex has found the were's that attempted the ambush yesterday" Sookie came and sat next to me. "They were Coyote's" Her tone held disdain. I too masked my distaste. Coyotes were a problem in this state. They ran rampant; they did not have packs, they had very little order. You may also find them acting as hired hands for just about anything. To put in in proper perspective they were the scourge of the two natured and vampires alike. In these parts they were responsible for more than half of the crimes against humans and the super natural.

"They are all dead" I raised my eyebrow. "Did you find them that way" It would make me angry if they killed them all without finding out who hired them. There was no doubt someone did. "Yes actually" That was most unfortunate. My money was on whoever hired them. The coyotes were a loose end. "Any clue who killed them?" She nodded. "Vampires, three of them" She gave Sookie a pointed look. There was something she wanted to say but couldn't. I redirected my question "Any scents you recognize" Her piercing gaze moved to me. "There was a lot of blood so I cannot say" There was no missing the double meaning to her words. One or more the scents were that of a vampire she knew. She could not say because she worked here. It would cause a shit storm.

"That is not all" I arched an eyebrow. "The chauffeur that picked her up from the airport is missing" I turned to Sookie. Confusion was plain on her face. "I took a cab here" I knew that was not how she was supposed to arrive. The hotel was to send a car for her. "Why" She brought the heel of her palm to her forehead. "I totally forgot. I bet he was waiting at baggage claims and I didn't have to check my bag so when I got off the plane I just walked right out" A thought occurred to me. Taking into account the security at the hotel the airport would have been the perfect point to make a grab for her. The driver was either in on the plan or he was killed off and replaced by one of the possible abductors.

Alexis turned to leave. "Here I'll walk you out" Sookie offered. I went into the kitchen to heat a blood. The door was a good distance from where I was but I could still hear their conversation. "I thought you would be gone tonight" Alexis said. "Something came up" Sookie said. "You should not linger" Her message this time was less subtle. She knew something. "Okay, thanks Alexis" They said their goodbyes then the door closed. Sookie came back to sit on the couch. Her mood had become beset by what we just learned. "We can cancel our plans for the evening" There was little sense in forcing her out if it would make her anxious. "No" Her voice was firm. "I'm sick of not doing the things I want because people want to hurt me" Her arms were folded across her chest. The expression on her face was complete defiance. This was one of the many things I loved about her. She was a strong woman.

After her rant she stood and fanned her ensemble. "How do I look?" She asked with a smile. "Mouthwatering" was my first reply. She had a on a form fitting red dress. It was strapless. Her hair was pulled high above her head. The look displayed her neck and shoulders beautifully. My reply was the literal truth. She rolled her eyes. A call came in on the hotel phone and I knew Nathaniel was waiting for us.

We spent the night with Nathaniel and his human companion. We started at the Casino of our hotel. Then we visited the MGM for a show. Sookie was looking at everything with wide eyes and open excitement. Seeing it through her eyes made it possible for me to enjoy this city all over again. She did not gamble because she said she had an unfair advantage. I found that regardless of my willingness to allow her to visit a strip club she did not allow me the same courtesy. She said to chalk it up as a "human thing" She wasn't fooling me. She was more possessive and jealous than I was. I found it attractive and tad hypocritical. This was coming from someone who resented being referred to as "Mine" The night went without incident. We did not return to our rooms until an hour or so before dawn. The outing was pleasurable. It made me regret not being able to do things like this with her regularly. She was happy. She seemed carefree. This is how I wanted her to be; this is how she deserved to be.


	3. Chapter 15 to Chapter 20

**I FOR ONE HATE WAITING, IT SUCKS ((PUN INTENDED)) **

**I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH THANK YOU'S TO THOSE OF YOU WHO REVIEW. IT MAKES MY DAY SOMETIMES. **

**ENOUGH OF THAT…ENJOY AND LIKE ALWAYS LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK…**

**Sookie**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Feeling Conflicted**

The next morning I woke up late. Really late like my grandmother would have been ashamed late. My night in Las Vegas was definitely one that I was going to remember. It also made me glad that I was not going to have to live here. The dominant theme here was sex and money. Walking around through the strip was like walking through Fangtasia on a really busy night. I had to work hard to keep my shields in place. Still none of that kept me from having a good time. That was my main goal of the night. Because it was now painfully obvious that I would never be completely safe no matter where I was or what I was doing. I wasn't going to be reckless. But I was no longer going to live in fear. There was no sense in letting the people who wanted to hurt me rule my life.

Eric and I actually went out. This was not something that we never got to do. Dating him was nothing like dating Bill. He didn't have a lot free nights to take me to the movies or out to dinner. He had an area and a bar to run. These days he spent a lot of time watching Victor and planning to kill him. The time we spent together was either at Fangtasia or indoors. Don't get me wrong being indoors with Eric was definitely action packed and mind blowing. Last night was just something different. It was something new and I shared it with him. At the end of the night Nathaniel asked me if he sold me on Vegas. Turns out he was instructed by his master to show us what this city had to offer. Had I been someone who loved fast money and faster girls I would be looking for homes to buy as we speak. Nothing about this city appealed to the small town girl in me. In fact it scared her.

I wasn't exactly sure but I hoped we would go home tonight after screening all the humans here. For their sake I really hope no one was up to anything. There was no way I could save anyone else. I didn't know what was wrong with some people. Daniel was sent here to infiltrate DeCastro's organization. He disliked vampires and wanted to see as many of them fall as possible. That didn't keep him from enjoying the perks that came with hanging out with them. He has been getting his pick of women because of the company he kept. He even threatened people with his vampires to get his way. In the past few months he had upgraded his status of living greatly, and he loved it. It reminded me of Tara and how she ended up with Mickey. You had to be crazy to think you could take advantage of vampires or that you could get something for nothing. They were masters of scheming and double crossing.

I wanted to go outside in the sun. I could sit by the pool and tan. Getting dressed took a lot longer because I had to go digging in my suitcase. When I got my things together I headed out of the room. As usual it was crawling with guards of the were variety. Alex wasn't by the elevator as I was expecting. I didn't recognize the guard that was there. "There is something you need" he asked. I nodded. "I was just going to head out" He nodded and just stepped to the side. Then he pushed the call button for the elevator. When the elevator came I didn't move. "Is there a problem" He sounded impatient and annoyed. "No" Maybe they changed that procedure overnight. Then again I was sure Alexis would have mentioned it. I liked her but she came with Cameron. There was no way I could pass up the opportunity to go out without them. I scurried into the elevator before it was too late. He looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't relax until the door closed.

The main plaza was full of activity. I walked past a stand and got a fruit salad. The walk to the pool was long but I enjoyed it. I ate as I walked. True to the décor of this place the pool was enormous. It was decorated to bring you straight to the Roman days. Something about the water did not appeal to me. Mainly because I didn't know how to swim but also I remembered sky fairies did not belong in water. I made good use of the dozens of reclining chairs that surrounded it. Being out here made me happy. I didn't have my radio like I had back home but there was music playing softly and I had a book. "Afternoon miss, would you care for a drink" A waiter was looking down at me. He was making concerted effort not to stare at my chest. He wasn't completely succeeding. I got a look at some of the bikini tops some women were wearing. Mine wasn't especially revealing or catchy. I kept out of his head I didn't want to know what he was thinking. I ordered an orange juice and returned to soaking up some sun.

I was having a good time for over an hour. My romance novel of choice was actually the one Claude and I posed for. It was vain but I only bought the book because I thought I looked really good. It wasn't easy not being overshadowed by a fairy in terms of looks but I thought I managed just fine. I read and sipped my drink. I was well on my way to having a very fine day when I was clouded in shadows. I looked up to find Cameron and Alexis. "Hi" I said lamely. Alexis frowned. Cameron looked indifferent but he didn't return my greeting. They were unhappy. Obviously the guard that let me leave shouldn't have. "This was most unwise" Alexis said. She crouched down and faced me. "You should not have ventured out alone" I sighed there no point denying it. Even if the guard didn't know better I did. I wanted to say, "Everything was fine before you got here". Instead I apologized. She had done me a favor last night at some personal sacrifice. On top of that they had found out some disturbing news. She was just doing her job. I had made it harder. "It is not entirely your fault Timothy is an oaf" I hoped he wouldn't get into too much trouble.

She appeared uncomfortable in direct sunlight. She was leaning into my shadow and her head was down slightly. "Are you alright?" She nodded. "In this form the sun bothers my eyes" That explained why she always had on shades. I sat up and threw my dress back over my head before she could say more. I had gotten a good amount of sun today. "It is fine" She said. I was already standing up. She smiled Cameron didn't look like he cared one way or the other. We began walking back into the hotel. I stopped and grabbed some food to bring up to the room. I knew I wasn't coming back down until dark. For the remainder of the day I just lounged round in the room. I watched T.V and I did my nails. Sitting around idly was not something I was used to. By the time Eric woke up I was ready to go crazy from being trapped in the room.

"Are you alright" His face was a mixture of concern and amusement. "Yeah" He came and kissed me. "I smell the sunlight in your hair" He murmured. He was able to pick up on that after more than five hours. "Is that a bad thing" I was a little self-conscious maybe I should have taken a shower. I wasn't sure if he found it unpleasant. He chuckled and kissed his way to my ear. "Not at all" He licked my ear lobe. I shivered in pure delight and leaned into him. My libido was always out of control whenever he was around. When we had sex it was quick and he didn't bite. I needed all my strength for tonight.

The knock came at the door right after he had gotten dressed. It was Nathaniel. He gave us both nods. We exited the room and headed towards the elevators. "The humans have all been gathered under pretenses of a staff meeting" He sounded really bored. "You will sit amongst them. I will address them" This didn't sound like his type of thing. He struck me as a vampire that would rather be spending his time doing more pleasurable things whatever that was. He handed me a folder. "These are all our humans" I opened the folder it had pictures of six humans excluding Nina and Daniel. It seemed to come from I.D badges. It had their ages and other type of demographic information. "Write down what you find next to their pictures" I saw this for exactly what it was. They weren't going to give me another chance to intervene with their brand of justice. This was one the times when helping vampires went against what was best for your fellow man.

We stopped on what I thought was the business floor of the hotel. There were a series of conference rooms. We walked until we got to at the end of the hall. I was uncomfortable. Eric was walking behind me. He was alert but not anxious. Yes we had a grand ole time with Nathaniel last night but they we still couldn't trust him or anyone else. _"Please stay close"_ I told Eric. He didn't respond but I could feel he wasn't going anywhere. It reassured me. He didn't enter the room it was supposed to be a human staff meeting led by Nathaniel and Sandy. He waited out in the hall.

I entered the room a few minutes before Nathaniel and found a seat in the corner. The people whose pictures I had in the folder were already in the room. They were talking quietly amongst themselves. They looked at me when I came in but other than that they ignored me. I was pegged as a new hire. Nathaniel entered the room and it became dead quiet. Mentally I prepared myself; I pulled my shield away completely. Doing that in a crowded room would have been hell but with only six people it was uncomfortable but manageable. I also worked to keep my face blank. Nathaniel began speaking.

About fifteen minutes into his briefing. I realized he was using words like; loyalty; reliability; and honesty. He really did understand humans. He knew using those words would force people to think about the things they were doing that correlated with those words in any way. It made my job a lot easier. There was older man named Gary. He was the perfect vampire employee; He saw no evil, he heard no evil and spoke no evil. He didn't care what they did. He had a family and this job paid a lot and came with benefits. He never so much took a pen form here and he performed his duties to the latter. I made a note next to his name to show he was trust worthy. It seemed wrong that he shouldn't get any recognition for his work.

There was a woman named Patricia. She was attending FOTS meetings. One of the vampires here had used her and dumped her in a very public manner. Suffering from a broken heart she turned to the fellowship of the sun. She now felt like vampires really were heartless and evil. The FOTS had the right idea in her book. They wanted her membership because she was on the inside and she felt valuable to them in a way she never felt before. I felt sorry for her in more ways than one. Although I felt conflicted I knew the FOTs wanted to repeat Rhodes. There was no way I would let that happen if I could stop it. They succeeded in killing more humans than anyone else in the bombing. I marked her name and her intent. The best she could hope for was a fast death.

There was a man that was hoping to get turned. That was the only reason he took this job. He seemed to have the right temperament for a vampire. He was uncompromising and vicious. There was really nothing he wouldn't do to get what he wanted. I hated to do it but I marked him down too. The thought that this man may one day be a vampire was scary. He was chilling enough as a human. I did it to cover my back. Other than that there was nothing else worth mentioning. Thankfully no one was stealing or spying. After a half hour I gave Nathaniel a meaningful look. I had found all I could from this bunch. He concluded the meeting. When everyone else filed out Eric came in. I handed Nathaniel the folder he had given me. He looked over it briefly and sent Sandy after the fellowship woman. Surprisingly that didn't bother my conscience as much as I thought. "I don't suppose you will spend the night in Vegas" I wanted to say, "No thank you" but I held my tongue and waited for Eric to answer. He shook his head. I was relieved. Nathaniel smiled and nodded. "Until next time famed telepath" That title irked me to no end but I managed a smile. "Good bye Nathan" He exchanged nods with both me and Eric and we left.

As it turns out Eric switched our flight for tonight. He was just as eager to leave as I was. Anubis came for us just a half hour after the meeting with Nathaniel. Sooner than later we were in the air heading home and I could hardly believe it. "Are you tired?" He asked. I shook my head. "Pam has candidates for my new day man if you are willing" I nodded. This was the first time he was actually asking. Usually I was summoned for this task or another. He told me that the next week or two would be hectic for him which was understandable. He had been gone over two weeks. On top of that his makers visit and death had left him with extra things to do.

As we began our descent into Shreveport it came to me. While I was away from home I had avoided disaster. There had been no fighting; no explosions; I wasn't kidnapped; or beaten up. Aside from the scare my first day and the vampire errands I had to run it had a pleasant trip. Maybe the curse was broken. Maybe everything would be different from now on. I was probably over reaching with the last part. I did hope the violent free setting from my trip would follow me home and stay with me forever.

That realization put me in a mighty fine mood. Of course Eric noticed. "Were you home sick" He asked with a smile. I shook my head. "I'm always happy to come home but I'm happier when I return in the same shape I left in" I smiled. "Better actually" He chuckled and wrapped his arm around me. I didn't need to explain it to him. Pam was waiting for us at the airport. She had some quick words with Eric then he left with the attendants from Anubis to his house. Pam and I began the short drive to Fangtasia. "I made preliminary eliminations" Pam said. "There are only three remaining candidates" I nodded. This was a really big deal. This was someone Eric had to be able to trust with important tasks. Catching dishonesty was easy but I had to find a person that would be good at keeping up with the type of things that Eric sometimes required. Bobby was an asshole and I disliked him as much as he disliked me but he was good at what he did.

"Are there specific things I should be looking for?" Pam gave me look that questioned my intelligence. I rolled my eyes "I mean outside of the obvious" She nodded and answered my question. "Someone who wouldn't be missed if they went missing would be ideal" That was just awful. I wondered how much the job was paying. It definitely qualified as a hazardous profession. Just ask Bobby. She pulled into the Employee parking lot at Fangtasia. From the show of cars in the main parking lot it wasn't very busy tonight. I followed her into Eric's office. I sat in the sofa she took Eric's chair and called the bar and the first was person sent back. "This person is well educated" She said. I nodded. This wasn't your typical job interview. Pam was dressed in all black. It wasn't her usual Fangtasia get up but it was intimidating. There weren't any papers in front of her. She was sitting in the huge leather chair her face was its usual bored mask. There was a little knock at the door. "Enter" she said.

Candidate number one was a super model or close to it. She was gorgeous. Even in her skirt suit her curves were easily visible. She had big green eyes and long light brown hair. She was all dulled up. She was completely at ease. It was obvious Pam found her attractive she thought this made her a shoe in. Pam gestured to the chair across from her and she sat. "Nadine this is my master's wife" She looked at me and smiled. "Good evening Mrs. Northman" I smiled and nodded. She didn't know I wasn't a vampire yet. It would sink in, in about five, four, three, and there it goes. She did a subtle double take and her mental state was total confusion. It wasn't because vampire's marrying human's wasn't legal everywhere. It was because she had several copies of the Fangtasia calendar. She was thinking about why a vampire like Eric would go as far as to marry me. In her opinion I was fat and my presentation was frumpy at best. While he was _"hotter than fucking fish grease"_ I ground my teeth. I wanted to slap her.

Pam began going over some other details of the position. Nadine wasn't thinking about anything Pam was saying. She was thinking about how long it would take her to get into Eric's bed. I wasn't angry that she found Eric attractive or that she thought I was fat. I was enraged at the way she saw me. She completely disregarded the title by which I was introduced and saw me as a minor speed bum. At this point I would have slapped her and hit her over the head with something for good measure. Pam said how sometimes she would have to make herself available to me and my needs. She nodded and said, "It would be a pleasure" In her head she thought it would put her in a perfect position to get me out the door faster. She was good at feigning friendship and good intent then stabbing people in the back. I was boring a hole into the side of her head. And if looks could kill she would drop dead and burst into flames.

I was going to kill her. My vision was becoming blurred and my hand actually twitched. The phone rang I barely heard it. A second later Pam was calling my name. "Sookie" I tore my eyes away from this bitch and looked at her. She still had the receiver to her ear. Pam was actually startled by the hostile expression on my face. It made me get a grip. "Thank you Nadine we'll be in touch" I spat out. It sounded like a slap but it was best I could manage in this state of mind. She smiled and thanked both of us and left. Her confidence remained untouched. Pam wasn't speaking English and she was amused. I knew she was talking to Eric. I was embarrassed that I had gotten that infuriated by that trash. I just stared at the wall and waited for my anger to ebb. "So I'll take that as a no" She asked with an Eric kind of smirk. I didn't respond she chuckled and hung up.

"Eric is desirable" She said. "That is no reason to become affronted" I glared at her. "If the next two are anything like her in any sense you may as well bring me home now" My voice was icy. She laughed. "You are as bad as he is" I didn't know what that meant but I didn't care I was totally serious about what I said. Pam waited a few minutes for me to calm down before she called in the next person. He was a young man. I would say he was fresh out of college. He was tall with dark eyes and dark hair. He knew right away I was human I figured he was smarter than Nadine. Pam went over the same things with him as she did with Nadine. He was paying attention. Once I dipped into a person's head I got a gist of their overall 'voice'. He was nice. That was the problem. This job would destroy him. Plus he had a few people in his life that would miss him if he went missing. Pam dismissed him and gave me a questioning look. "He is too nice minded" I said. She nodded and called in the last person.

David Moore was an older man, in his mid-thirties I would say. His overall appearance was average. His mind however was rear. Things were very black and white in there. He saw vampires as a different race rather than a difference species. This was a job much like any other. To him this was a chance to experience something new. If it didn't pertain to the job then he didn't want to know. When Pam introduced me as Eric's wife he didn't flinch mentally. He didn't have an opinion on me one way or the other. It wasn't his business. I liked him. He had the disposition for the job. I gave Pam a nod of approval. "The job is yours" She said abruptly. Her tone was bland but I could still sense relief in there somewhere. This kind of thing must be boring and she already busy running the bar while Eric was away. David was surprised but thanked her. She gave him a notebook. I could pick out of his head that it was a long list of errands. "You will complete them all. And you will report here tomorrow night to meet my master" He gave her a deep nod and he left.

The drive back to Bon Temps was quiet. I was exhausted mentally. So I was not prepared for what Pam said next. "I ran into the fairy" She said. I only knew two fairies that were still around and Pam running into them was bad. "He came to my house to ask if I heard from you" It wasn't Claude he didn't care. At least not enough to go walking into a vampires house to ask my whereabouts. It had to be Dermot. I would bet money that his visit had more than one motive because he had my cell number and didn't call once. He had a twisted attraction to Pam. It was twisted because she wanted to kill him and he knew it but he didn't seem as concerned as he should. "Sorry" I didn't know what else to say. "Don't be. I almost caught him" Her tone was wistful and hungry. There was a small smile on her face. It made me shiver. Dermot's attraction was one-sided. No matter how much Pam enjoyed his attentions or the thrill of the chase she would drain him no doubt about it. She pulled into the back of my house and helped me get my bags inside and then she was off. Coming home felt as it always did, refreshing; like a breath of fresh air. It was late. I left my suitcase at the door and went about my bed time routine. Within the next ten minutes I was dead to the world.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Swords and Shields**

I returned to work. Sam seemed just as surprised as I was that I had made it back in one piece. The fact that I had a something that resembled a vacation showed. I was in better spirits. Unfortunately good things never last. As if to remind me that I would never have peace an unknown vampire walks in the door. I wouldn't give her a day over fifteen when she died-the first time. She was a skanky teenager. Her hair was dark and very short. Her lips were a very deep red. Her top was a racy piece of lingerie. It was red and it was lace and it could hardly be called a top. Underneath that was a pair of very low rise jeans and boots. I guess you could call her look edgy. I would call it a red flag. She looked around at everything in sight like she wanted to torch it. All at once the patrons in the bar turned to look at me. Like any vampire in these parts had to be coming to see me. It was aggravating. It was more aggravating because they were right.

She watched me for a second then took a seat in my section, perfect. I saw to a few of my customers while thinking about what to do. In the end I had to go over to her. "Good evening" I said with a smile. "What can I get for you" She gave me appraising look all while still managing a scowl. I didn't know what she was looking for but I wished she would hurry it up. "If you attempt to kill me let me assure you it will not be an easy feat" Her accent became very pronounced towards the latter half of her sentence making her vowels heavy. It wasn't a threat it was just a statement of fact one that I didn't doubt. I frowned. That Pam and her sense of humor. She had done this with Felicia too. Only she had told her to come beg for her life. If Pam sent her to beg she was doing a sorry job. Not that I wanted her to. I really wish she could find another form of amusement outside of the discomfort of others, mine in particular.

I sat down across from this woman. "I take it you are the new bartender at Fangtasia" She gave me a hard nod that somehow conveyed a vast amount of distaste for her job as well as me. "Pam was just teasing" I said. Her scowl didn't soften. It took a few seconds for me to realize that was the usual expression on her little face. Talking to me seemed to be trying her patience such as it was. I had no idea how she was going to serve drinks night after night without killing someone. She looked at me for a few seconds. "She told me you would say that" I sighed and tried not get angry. It wasn't her fault Pam was making my life a whole lot harder than it has to be. "Listen" My voice was reassuring instead of impatient like I really was. "You don't have to worry about me" I was trying to remind her I was human. There was no way she could genuinely be afraid of me. It must be the fact that Eric was my husband.

"Do you swear it" She asked. I put my right hand up like this was a courtroom and I was about to be sworn in "I swear not to try to kill you" She arched an eyebrow unsatisfied. For the love of God "Or try to have you killed unless you try to hurt me" I tagged on. "Or anyone I care about" She nodded seemly satisfied. It did nothing to shake the glower on her face. Everyone in the bar was watching us. I got up. "Was that all or are you going to order something?" She stood too and gave a tiny shake of her head to indicate she wasn't. Then she turned on her heels and disappeared just as suddenly as she came. Vampires. Sam gave me a questioning look I just shook my head at him and returned to my tables.

The next day Dermot stopped by for a visit. He wasn't alone. Claude was with him. That was unusual. I hadn't seen him since he moved out. Dermot greeted me with a hug and kiss and Claude followed. "Hello cousin" I was shocked. Then again maybe with all other fairies gone he had decided I was now suddenly good enough. "Hey" I said. My reply was a little guarded because of his strange behavior. "I'll start breakfast" he said cheerfully. Every alarm in my head went off. Call me paranoid but this fairy was up to something. "What are you doing here Claude" I was trying to sound curious but my question came out as an accusation. I got a glimpse of the real Claude; the tactless snob. "Making breakfast" His tone implied the of course and he gave me a look that said I wasn't very bright. I frowned. "I know that. I mean why are you doing it here?" He caught himself and smiled. "It is important for us to spend time together" His tone was very matter of fact. He went about rummaging in my kitchen. Dermot smiled at me and shook his head to say "bullshit".

"Liar" I said. I knew what he said had to be true. Since my streak of fairiness was being accentuated I knew being around me would assuage some of the emptiness he felt. I also knew enough about fairies to know he had an ulterior motive. He stopped what he was doing to face me. "I most certainly am not" He actually looked insulted for all of one heartbeat. "Drop the Mr. Nice Fairy routine" Dermot chuckled. "If I can be honest it doesn't suit you at all cousin" It really didn't and it was unsetting for me because I knew his real personality. Claude fought a smile for a second then he laughed. It was a blithe and merry sound that sounded like beautiful music. "Okay, okay fine" He didn't sound the least bit embarrassed at having his card pulled. He sounded relieved that he could drop the act. "I thought you may be angry for me telling Dermot what a catastrophe you are" This was normal Claude alright. I immediately missed the nice fairy no matter how fake he had been. He just called me a catastrophe with me sitting not four feet from him. True to form he didn't show an inkling of compunction.

"Asshole" I hissed. Now that he brought it up my irritation flared all over again. "I was thinking about your overall welfare when I told him" His bland expression and bored tone took away from the contents of his words. I didn't respond. "What Claude means is that he didn't want to do it and he knew I would" Dermot said with a smile. He got up and picked up where Claude had left off with breakfast. "Why does anyone have to do anything?" I asked. They were making me sound like a child. As if I couldn't be trusted with my own survival. Claude's eyebrows shot up in utter disbelief and he still managed to look good. "Yes we can all see how nicely sitting around completely helpless and delicious is working out for you" His tone inferred I was some kind of endangered species. Dermot's back was turned to me but I saw his shoulders shake with silent laughter. Claude just couldn't stop insulting me this morning. I glared at him unable to think of anything belligerent enough to say.

Yes, I had a very bad track record but I wouldn't have all these troubles if I wasn't involved in the world of supes. Fairies included if they would all kindly leave me alone I would be fine. I told him so and I put as much acid in my voice as I could muster. For Claude there was a lot. He didn't seem at all bothered.

"The fact that Claudine wanted to be an angel kept from showing you how to do harm unto others. But when she found out she was going to be a mother she was considering it. She was barely managing to keep you alive as it was" I wondered how different a few instances in my life would have turned out if I had been able to defend myself better. I wondered if Claudine would have lived and by association Coleman and their children. "I cannot train you even if I wanted to or had the time" He continued. His face said he didn't have any of the above mention criteria desire especially "Nor am I willing to die for you. He is willing and able to do both" He nodded his head at Dermot. There was no malice in his voice. He was just stating a fact one that tugged at the strings of my heart. I winced feeling a twinge of something stir in my stomach. Not guilt exactly but close to it. I didn't want anyone dying for me no matter how much they were willing. Dermot muttered something in a different language and glared at Claude.

"I really meant well" Claude said in a softer tone. He smiled and poured all his charm into it. This act wasn't selfless. Claude was an asshole but to his credit he was trying. The fact that he thought about me at all was a step in the right direction. I smiled with effort. "It would appear you returned from your trip unharmed" He said in an obvious attempt to change the topic. He came and stood in front of. He ran his eyes up and down the length of my body. If I didn't know just how gay he was I would be worried he was being inappropriate. "Completely unscathed" he concluded. He wasn't checking me out he was giving me an X-ray. I don't know how he knew that. He once told Tara she was having twins even after her doctor had missed it. He would make a hell of a doctor. But there wasn't enough adoration and glam in that profession for him or any other fairy for that matter. Instead he was a model/stripper/night club owner.

"How was your trip" Dermot asked. I was just about to answer when I remembered what Pam told me. "Why did go looking for me at Pam's house" I was going to ask how he knew where she lived but I decided to just stick to the main issue. "Only you would go barging into a vampire nest" Claude shook his head in disapproval and slight disgust. I knew if he could find even one full blooded fairy on this side of Faery Claude would not hang out with us. What with our diluted fairy blood and attraction to vampires. "She would have known best" He shrugged. Again that was the truth but not nearly all of it. Then I decided to let it go. He was a capable adult if he wanted to court his own disaster there was really nothing I could do. We sat down to eat and I told them about my trip. It was nice to talk about that part of my life with someone. Being around them made me feel good, not extremely happy or anything, it felt like being home.

"If you are free this afternoon we can train" I nodded. "What will you be working on" Claude asked. He didn't sound at all interested. "Shielding" Dermot answered. The look on his face went from bored to curious. You are never in a good place when you rouse the interest of a supe. Not by a long shot. A half hour later we were gathered out in the back yard. The heat was very evident even this early in the day. Dermot and Claude were topless. Their hair was perfect, so were their bodies. I was in a T-shirt and shorts. It was impossible not to feel self-conscious around these two. Hanging around beautiful supernatural creatures was going to give me a complex. I shook the feeling aside and focused.

"Shields in any form are used to block be it a blade or a spell" I was listening and trying to retain what he was saying. "Your spark is now strong enough that all that you are capable of is already within you. It is now a matter of drawing it out. This too is different for everyone. Some of it is due to heredity, chance and overall talent" I could tell Claude knew all this because he was running his hands through his hair and looking quite bored. Dermot came over to me. "Keep me from touching you" I blinked. I had no idea how to begin to do what he asked. He reached out and poked my shoulder. It kind of hurt. I frowned. This would go a lot better if he had provided me some blue print. "There is no way she can do it" Claude said. He was fanning himself in a very feminine way. If he stuck around for moral support he was terrible at it. "Perhaps a demonstration" Dermot said. "I'm too hot" Claude droned. He was being completely useless to this whole exercise.

"Do not focus on the actual barrier itself it is intangible. Focus on the impression of being protected and direct it outward" Those instructions were vague but I tried. I focused on the space between us and tried to imagine him not being able to touch me. Almost immediately I felt something begin to happen. I felt a warm tingling sensation wash through my body. Dermot lifted his finger to poke me again. I felt the pressure of his contact but not the pain. By the look on his face he knew I had it. I focused harder and the feeling evaporated. Dermot must have been applying a lot of pressure to his contact while I was under my shied. The instant I was exposed I leapt back. "Ow" It felt like he was about to run his finger though my shoulder. He dropped his hand. "What are you doing exactly? I told him. He was thoughtful for a second.

"I suspect you are grasping at it too hard" That made no sense what so ever. Considering I didn't know exactly what I was grasping at. "Again" He said "This time with little thought" I nodded. Claude was sitting up. He now looked interested. I tried again. I just thought of him not hurting me. I didn't focus on the tingling sensation when it returned. I just knew the shield was there and I tried to keep everything the same. What I was doing wrong came to me. That little bit of fairy in me already knew what to do. When the human parts of me began thinking about it too hard it interfered. It was the total opposite of using my mental shield. That took a lot of focus especially in the beginning.

After a minute or so Dermot got a curious look on his face he turned and ran full tilt back in the house. It broke my concentration or lack thereof. My shield began to ebb. This time it wasn't as abrupt. I first began to feel my fingers were exposed then my feet. It crept to the center of my body. Then it was gone. Right now I felt like I had worked a busy night at the bar. Dermot came back he had my sheath and sword in one hand and his in the other. He threw mine at me. With the little bit of vampire blood in my body there was no way I couldn't catch it. Just because I caught it didn't mean I liked what I thought was about to happen. My fears were confirmed when Claude moved from the floor and put some distance between himself and us.

Dermot pulled his sword and threw its sheath to the ground. From the little he had thought me his footing told me he was going to attack. I took a step back and threw my hands up. "Hold your horses. I don't think we can be sparing partners just yet" My panicked smiled was stretched across my face and I added a hysterical chuckle. I even looked at Claude for help. He shrugged. I turned to Dermot he made a deliberate movement in my direction. Then he began trying to circle me. I moved with him refusing to let him out of sight. "If I were you I would unsheathe my sword" He gave me predatory smile and began his advance. Obviously he was trying to teach me something. I knew if I refused he probably wouldn't attack. I also knew if we sparred he wouldn't hurt me, much. But I still couldn't help being scared. Another part of me was rising to the challenge. It wanted to fight. I bound it under lock and key and just focused on defense.

I pulled the sword out and took my stance and waited for him to attack. The second I gripped the sword something told me I was doing it wrong. I changed the way I held it. Now both my hands were on it with my right hand on top. I also changed the angle which I was holding it. My grip also tightened without my meaning it to. I could have sworn I felt the hilt respond it was as though it had a pulse. Dermot was immediately in front of me. I felt my body to two things at the same time. My shield came back, stronger and my hands went up to block his first blow without my permission. I could tell he was strong. I could also tell he wasn't using half his strength. Even then my knees buckled under the blow. I spun away from under his blade. He too spun away in one of those super fluid fairy movements.

"It has been a long time Tia" It was a guess but I assumed that was the name Fintan gave his sword. The sword was practically humming. I suppressed the urge to attack and just focused on defense. He glided back towards me and our usual dance began only now neither of us was empty handed. I fell back unto our basic training. My aim was to get in his personal space. I knew there was no way I could land a blow even if I wanted to. He was showing off a little. He was doing flips to dodge my attacks. Throughout our fight my shields were irregular. When I was on the offense it would wane. When I was on defense it would come and dissipate prematurely. Our sparing match lasted maybe ten minutes at the end of which I thought I was going to die of exhaustion.

Dermot and Claude said in my current skill set I could keep myself from physical harm for at least a full minute. It would be against creatures that did not use magic of their own. Over time I will be able to deflect spells and project my shield. Claude said I showed talent for a human. Not even he could ruin this for me. I was impressed with myself. Despite the fact that my shields were only sporadic at best I could keep myself from being hurt. That was an accomplishment. Our training sessions from now on would include strengthening my shields and getting aquatinted with my sword. This part of training excited Dermot. As Claude put it he was a brigand.

When I was pulling into the employee parking lot of Merlotte's I couldn't help but feel a little cocky. Maybe cocky wasn't the right word. I was feeling smug; or brimming with self-satisfaction was a much better description. Before I got out of my car I spotted Bubba's new car. The one Russell bought for him. I assumed Eric sent him. When I got out I didn't see him. It was useless looking for him in the night. So I called out his name. "Hey Ms. Sookie" I heard rustling. His voice sounded far way. I couldn't tell what he was doing. I waited by the back door it held a little security light and I felt safer knowing my exit was close. Bubba came sauntering out the shadows. He was dressed in an all-black suit. His usually perfectly sculpted hair was ruffled and his face was covered in blood. He was uncomfortably close. I could clearly see the blood dripping from his chin and falling onto his shirt. Bubba was a messy eater. I wanted to ask him whose cat he killed. Then as I looked closer I saw it was too much blood to be a cat. Something was wrong Bubba didn't drink human blood. "What happened to you?"

I already had my phone out to call Eric. "Mr. Eric told me to deliver a message" Anyone would have known to explain he blood first. Bubba was as sweet as a vampire could be. Usually I found his lack of wit endearing. Right now I needed answers "So I came to wait for you. There were two men there" He pointed behind his back like I could see. "They were waiting to break your neck" I shrank into the door. My eyes were darting through the night. "How do you know?" I asked. "I heard them" I shivered. Confusion crossed his face. "Should I not have done it?" I knew he wasn't acting under direct orders from Eric. He just happened to be here and intervened. "No, Bubba you did a good thing" I was glad he saved from being killed I didn't want him to feel any hesitation if a situation like that ever arose again. He smiled and looked relived. "You saved me from having my neck broke. Thank you" He smiled wider at my praise. It showed teeth and the blood was still very present in his mouth. It was terrifying and disgusting.

"Follow me" I went into the back. I threw out my net to make sure no one was in the vicinity. I snuck him into the bathroom and dumped a gallon of water in front of it. I mopped slowly to give him a chance to get clean. He came out and I peeked in to make sure he didn't make a mess in there. Then I snuck him back out. "You wait here. I'll call Eric" He shook his head. "That's what Mr. Eric wanted me to tell you. The phone lines aien't no good for talking" His sentence was a little convoluted but I got the gist of it. I thought about what to do. I really didn't want to see a dead body. It couldn't be helped. There was no way we could leave them out in the open anywhere near here. That was the last thing Sam needed. The protestors just started dwindling.

I knew Bubba wasn't vampire enough upstairs to get rid of the bodies. Any attempt he made at hiding the bodies would have been sorry at best. I remembered him stuffing a body in Alcide's closet in Jacksonville. I walked to the back of Sam's house. I grabbed two shovels and went back to Bubba "Where did you put them?" I asked. "There" He pointed again. I was exasperated. "Show me" He turned and began walking into the woods that surrounded the lot and I followed. He stopped. Bless his heart. It was dark but the moon was almost full it provided some light. Bubba had piled the men on top of each other and left them at the base of a tree. There were little bits of foliage over them. I almost laughed.

He began digging I would have offered but he dug at full vampire speed. In less than two minutes he had made a hole wide enough for the two men. It was also very deep Judging by how long it took their corpse to hit the ground. After He filled the hole he added bits of foliage. He must have thought it wasn't complete otherwise. He walked me back to the door. "Go see Eric" I thought very carefully about what I said. I knew he followed instructions almost too well. "Wait till he is alone and tell him about all this" He nodded and smiled. Then he got in his car and drove off.

I went into work. I was only a few minutes late. It was a stroke of luck than Sam was on his way into the men's room. I stopped him. Usually I spared him the gritty details but this happened close to his house and it wasn't vampires that were here. I wasn't sure if the men were human or two natured but he still had to know. "I just buried two bodies" I told him. His eyes bugged out a little probably at my blasé tone and the fact that I was pulling my hair into a ponytail as I spoke. "Whose?" I shrugged my shoulder and explained to him what happened. He looked more worried than I did. I didn't care they were dead they were here to kill me. I was just happy I didn't have to touch a corpse or clean up blood or break my back digging a grave. Bubba did all the hard work. Sam wasn't especially happy that they were buried so close. If he had that big a problem he can go right ahead and dig them up and move them.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**A Bunch Of Misfits Is All That's Left**

On my way to the kitchen this morning I noticed my answering machine was blinking. It was Alcide he wanted me to call him back. This was not how I wanted to start my day. It has been a little over a week since I got back from Vegas and even longer since the incident. I was nervous about the verdict. When I felt my mind was clear enough I dialed his number. "Hey Alcide" My voice was cautiously cheery. "Hi Sookie" At least he didn't sound angry. "I need to talk to you can I swing by your place?" I thought about it briefly. "Sure. When?" My house was as good a place as any to have this unpleasant conversation. "I'm in Shreveport now; I can be there in an hour or so"

"Okay. Bye" I hung up. I wasn't on schedule today. I had planned on getting an early start on the day to run some errands and tidy up a bit around the house. Before I could finish that thought my phone rang again. "Hello?" I wondered if Alcide had forgotten to mention something. "Hey Sook its Jason" I brightened immediately. "Hey brother" I haven't seen much of him except for once or twice when he had dinner at Merlottes. "Michele and I wanted to know if you could come to dinner tonight" I smiled at the way he said Michele and I. My brother was really moving on with his life. I was starting to think Michele was the one "That sounds nice" I told him "What time"

"Six" That would give me time to get some things done. "Okay. See you then" I got off the phone. In the middle of breakfast my phone rang again. I was mighty popular today. "Hello"

"Sookie" It was Dermot. There was a lot of activity in the background like he was on a cell phone. "Hey uncle" I heard horns blaring. Okay so he was talking and driving. I didn't know he had a car or even a license. "I am driving" He told me cheerfully. I smiled. "Yes. I can hear" I wish he would get off the phone. "I am attending to some affairs for Claude. May I come see you afterwards?"

"No!" I all but shouted at him. "Is everything well with you?" His voice was no longer carefree. I kicked myself for the outburst. "Yes I was kind of busy this morning" I was meeting with Alcide in less than an hour. I didn't want Dermot anywhere near it. "Maybe you could come by later we could have lunch" I offered. He was quiet. "Alright" His tone said he knew something was up. To his credit he didn't press the issue. "Okay bye now" I got off the phone quickly. My day was booked and it wasn't even ten O'clock. God bless me. It wasn't over. A half hour after Dermot called my phone rang again.

"Hello" annoyance was thick in my voice. Usually I wasn't so rude but I didn't usually get flooded with calls and requests like this. I heard a little squeak. "Aunt Sookie!" The irritation I felt at having my routine interrupted evaporated. "Hunter!" My enthusiasm almost matched his. It was really good to hear from him. Then I noticed he was trying to whisper. It also occurred to me that a five year old shouldn't be making calls. "I miss you!" He said. That warmed my heart. "I miss you too buddy, where's your dad?" He was quiet. "Aunt Sookie I did a bad thing" Uh-Oh. He must be looking for help with his father. I didn't have the heart to tell him I couldn't help him there. "What happened sweetheart?"

"My dad forgot there's no school tomorrow He wants to send me to Cindy's" He sounded really unhappy. "I don't like her she's got too many cats and she smells" I laughed but caught myself and turned it into a cough. You just had to love the honesty of kids. "Hunter that's not nice" The reproach was halfhearted. "I want to come to your house but dad said it wasn't enough time" This wasn't so bad. It wasn't like he was calling me to bail him out of jail. "Give your dad the phone" I didn't want to say yes or no because for all I know Remy just didn't want to make the drive out here.

Hunter was giggling and I heard him open a few doors then call his dad. I waited as the phone changed hands. "Hello?" Remy's voice was guarded. "Hi, Remy its Sookie" He let out a deep breath. "Hunter" He said it like an explanation and an expletive. "No its okay I don't mind and I have nothing else going on" That wasn't entirely true but I could move something's around. "No I couldn't ask you to" He sounded really sorry. Being a single parent couldn't be easy. Having a child that was telepathic made the job ten times harder. Chances are he couldn't keep girlfriends or sitters. The help I could offer wasn't much but I thought I made it clear that I would help. He was probably too proud to ask. "You're not asking I'm offering" He was quiet for some time. "Are you sure it will be for two nights" I gulped out of fear that I was biting off more than I could chew. That kid seemed to run on batteries. Regardless it would be nice to see him "It's fine, really"

"Okay" He still sounded a bit uncertain. Hunter began celebrating in the background. I smiled. "You are still in trouble for going behind my back" Remy said. He didn't sound at all upset more like he was keeping up appearances. "You are a lifesaver Sookie. We'll see you around four" I could barely hear him over Hunter's excitement. "Okay"

If my phone rang one more time whoever was calling was out of luck. There was only time to shower and get dressed before Alcide came. I was waiting on the porch when he pulled up. To my dismay he brought his second in command. Jennalynn was a vicious little thing. Her dress code accentuated that somehow. Today she was wearing a pair of red high heels and a sleeveless tank dress that had slashes across the front. I really wished she wasn't here. Talking things out was not her style. "Hey" I said by way of greeting to them both. She gave me a nod and her face was tight. If I didn't know hostile was her usual setting I would have taken it personal. How someone like Sam dated someone like her was really beyond me. Alcide returned my greeting with a smile.

I showed them inside. Alcide sat Jennalynn stood next to him. "Can I get you guys anything?" Jennalynn's face became openly disgusted. The prospect of being served drinks in a home with the scent of vampire was unappealing to her. Despite what I knew about this girl my anger was flaring. She was being rude to me in my own home. Alcide declined politely for the both of them. "So what's going to happen?" My voice was curt. I planned on being more tactful. I planned on asking about Sid and drawing out the pleasantries. With this bitch's attitude I just wanted to get this over with. I wanted this mal mannered mutt out of my house. Alcide seemed startled by my hostility. "You know your friend committed a blood offence" I nodded. This would have been time to argue that the wolves attacked him first and they most likely confused him for Coleman. I would wait to see where this was going "You know what that means?" Again I nodded. "Sid lived and you are a friend of the pack so I figure I'll give you the choice of paying a large fine or owing us a debt and a smaller fine" The best choice in this situation seemed too obvious.

He wanted me in his debt that was reason to be suspicious. Alcide hasn't always been straight with me when he wanted me to do something. "How much is the large fine?" The look that crossed his face gave me all the confirmation I needed. "Fifteen thousand dollars" Jennalynn spat. My mouth fell open and she had a sadistic smile on her face. Absently I thought how rich I would be if I got a fraction of that every time I've nearly been killed. "The smaller fine is only the cost of lost wages to Sid and his medical bills" Alcide continued. "Which is?" He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. "A little over six thousand dollars"

Immediately I knew I was being swindled. Don't get me wrong six thousand dollars was nothing to sneeze at but the jump between those two figures was only to guarantee that I made the choice they wanted. "What does being your debt entail exactly?" He shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary" Everything about them was out of the ordinary so was everything I had ever done with them or for them. I knew then that whatever he wanted me to do would be worse.

"Alcide we are friends or at least we use to be" I doubted if he could still remember those simple days. His ascension to pack master had aged him greatly "But you had better tell me exactly what you want. Otherwise I'll suck it up and pay the large fine." My tone was flat and there was no way he could mistake what I was saying as a bluff. "After which you can cross me off the packs list of friends as well as yours" By the time I was done my anger at the whole thing leaked into my voice making my statement sound like a threat, which in truth it was.

Alcide was looking at me like he had never seen me before. He had always manipulated me into doing things for him. The most insulting part was I knew. I went along because I wanted to help him. I never would have charged him the way I charged vampires. I was beginning to wonder if my status as friend of the pack was only to solidify they received my services for free. Jennalynn scoffed at me. I fixed a glare at her and my temper erupted.

"You know what? Forget it. Don't tell me. I don't what to know" I had no doubt whatever he wanted came with a high likely hood of me getting beat up. "I'll pay the large fine" If I wasn't so angry I may have thought better of what I was saying. It was a lot of money but I had money saved. All in all it was a small price to pay to save my uncles life and free myself of the packs bullshit. I stood up. "Get out" They were clearly taken aback. I pointed to the door to make my point. "Maybe ya'll didn't hear me. Get!" I wasn't yelling but I wasn't using my inside voice either. Alcide stood and raised both his palms to say "I surrender".

"Let's take a second to deescalate the situation a little bit" He sounded genuinely anxious by a tirade of a woman half his size. I didn't even turn to look at him. My glare was still fixed on his second. I wished Dermot had attacked her instead. It was awful of me to wish such things. Especially because she was dating Sam but that would have brought her down a few notches. God knows she needed it. She was arrogant and rude and a down right bitch "Jenna wait outside" She left instantly. Some of my steam left with her. It was official. I disliked her, a whole bunch.

Alcide sat down and I followed grudgingly. "Okay here's the thing. You know weres are trying to organize." I gave him a stiff nod. I agreed with Eric. They should have organized long before they made their great reveal. "There's a big meeting coming up I want you to come along" I gave him a questioning look. "Our pack wasn't the only on with traitors. None of us know who to trust, it's making things a lot harder than it has to be" His voice was bleak and he looked years older. I shouldn't care about his troubles especially after he was being a jerk about it. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked. There was no way I was going to play shaman again. I couldn't read weres all that great. He knew that. I didn't see the purpose in having me at their summit. "Just do your best even if it doesn't turn up anything. You have a reputation with supes that your presence will be enough" He shrugged to make it sound like it was no big deal. "Alcide what if this turns into a fight" He looked away at nothing in particular. "Sure things will be tense because we're just starting out" Lucky me I get to be there to be part of the experiment. "It's not like we are going to war. It'll work out" from the way he spoke it sounded more like he was telling me what he hoped would happen, not what could or would. I nodded even though I didn't share his optimism. "When is it?" He looked guilty. "Next Sunday" I ground my teeth to stifle another rant. I just glared and gave him a stiff nod.

When Alcide left I went into town. There were still a couple of things I could get done before Dermot came by. While I was out I decided to make Mrs. Belfleur's famous chocolate cake to bring to Jason's tonight. A few hours later I was pulling into my drive way. I saw Claudine's car. My heart skipped a beat until I saw Dermot sitting on my porch. I didn't know who I was expecting to see Claudine has gone to the Summerlands. My uncle came and helped me unload groceries and dry cleaning.

I noticed when we got into the house he scrunched his nose up. There was no doubt he smelled werewolf. He turned and gave me a piercing look. I realized I was committing the same kind of highhandedness I disliked so much. "I met with the pack master today" I was putting things away as I spoke. "That explains the odor" He turned his nose up in a Claude kind of way. His expression managed to convey disgust and hostility and curiosity at the same time. He maybe half human but in respect to snooty behavior he was all Fae "Anyways, it's all squared away" I shrugged.

"How?" I stopped what I was doing to look at him. "I'm a friend of the pack so I just had to pay a little fine" I said little for his benefit. The full amount was six thousand forty-three dollars and thirty-two cents. After I agreed to attend the were meeting Alcide said I didn't have to pay it. I paid it anyways because I knew what it was like to get hurt and have to worry about bills. I also decided not to tell my uncle about the meeting I had to attend. "I will pay the restitutions although I'm sure they are getting more than they are entitled" His voice said anything more than nothing was too much. "I already took care of it" He shrugged. "I will pay you then"

"No that's okay" He only attacked them in the first place because he thought he was protecting me. Also now that I thought about it Dermot didn't have a job. I knew he was living with Claude but I didn't know what he did for money. He waved me away in one of those fluid fairy movements. He seemed to be thinking about something else entirely. "You don't have a job. Where will you get the money?" I felt like I was insulting him but I was just stating the facts. Plus I didn't want him to do something illegal to get it. He looked at me and understanding lit his face.

"My father left me all his assets from this world" That didn't sound right. Niall had cursed him. He had also banned him from reentering Faery. Between the two of them I thought there was no love lost. Then again his father could have killed him or made the curse more debilitating. He also could have made it more difficult to break. From what I heard from both Eric and Claude he was powerful. Maybe Niall figured I would break the curse and then Dermot's punishment would be complete. After all he made the answer a very human one. With all that had passed between the two of them he still wanted his son cared for. I was probably giving my great grandfather too much credit. He may have forgotten to disinherit him in this world as well as Faery.

"Oh" was my brilliant reply. He told me about his day I told him about mine. I could tell he wanted to come along with me to Jason's. Their first encounter didn't go so well. I could also tell he wanted to meet Hunter but he didn't ask. The thought of integrating the remaining loose branches in my family tree made me anxious. I thought it was startling enough to bring Hunter to meet Jason. Even if he didn't take an interest in him I thought it would be good they met. Bringing Dermot along seemed like seriously pushing my luck. Ultimately I decided we were family and there wasn't that much of us left. When I was finished with the groceries I went into my room to call my brother. "Hey Jason is it okay if I bring some friends along?" He became immediately apprehensive. Maybe he thought I was bringing Eric. He was trying to be tolerant of my vampire beau but I doubted he wanted him over for dinner. "What friends?"

"Hadley's son Hunter and the fairy that looks like you" I could tell I just dropped a bomb on him he was quite for a few minutes. The silence was becoming rather pregnant. "You want to bring a crazy fairy to my house?" He sounded angry. "Someone cursed him. He wasn't himself. I wanted you to see that he's nothing to worry about" He seemed to start and stop unsure of how to continue. "I've been hanging out with him lately he's nice you might like him actually" I remembered Claude said they were similar in more than looks. I waited for Jason's tirade. It was understandable if he refused. As I was getting ready to renege on the request he spoke "I'll trust you on this" The words sounded like they were being ground out. I was in disbelief. "See you later" He hung up. I could tell he was less than happy with agreeing but he agreed.

Dermot had already started lunch when I entered the kitchen. "If you want Dermot you can hang out with me for the rest of the day" I went over to him and helped him chop up some tomatoes. "If I will not be imposing upon you" I shook my head. "No imposition" He smiled brightly. After we ate he helped me with my cake. Mrs. Belfleur's recipe was award winning. The way I saw it you couldn't be mad while you were eating it. I made sure I did everything correctly. While the cake cooled he suggested we head into the yard for a training session. Thankfully it was only magic training. He was impressed with my shield but we still had to work to make it consistent.

We were at this for some time before I heard tires on my driveway. I turned to Dermot. I became nervous. "I'm going to introduce you as Drake" He nodded. "Act human" he smiled. We went walking towards the driveway. The second the car stopped Hunter came sprinting out. I crouched down and held my hands open. "Auntie Sookie" He was shouting it both mentally and verbally. I felt a tug in my chest for going so long without seeing him. He knocked the wind out of me. "Hi Hunter" I stood with him in my arms. His father came over to us. "Hey Remy" If he hadn't been thinking about Dermot I would have forgotten he was there. "Drake this is Hunter and his Dad Remy. Remy, Hunter this is my cousin Drake" No one would ever believe he was my uncle. Dermot shook both their hands. Remy figured we were related because we looked alike and he was thankful I wasn't just having anyone around his child. Hunter looked at Dermot in interest. He couldn't get a visual mentally, if that made any sense "Let's go inside" I said as a distraction. "I actually have to get going right away" Remy said. He kissed Hunter and thanked me again then he was gone.

"_What is he?"_ Hunter had the discretion to ask me mentally. He had only met humans and vampires. _"He's not like everyone else" _I shielded the real answer from him. I doubted a five year old could keep secrets about the super natural. He thought about it for a while. Then decided it was nice that his head was silent to him. There was some time to kill before we had to be at Jason's I cleaned up and put the finishing touches on my cake. At first hunter was sticking close to me and not really talking to Dermot. By the time we were leaving the house for Jason's they were hand in hand.

Awkward did not begin to describe the atmosphere at Dinner. What with Jason eyeing Dermot's every move, and Michele staring between Dermot and Jason in confusion. I thought my panicked smile would be plastered unto my face for the rest of my days. Hunter helped lighten the whole thing up. He spied the lake and asked Jason fishing questions. Jason offered to take him sometime. My brother didn't relax all through dinner. But half way through he stopped thinking about his closest shot gun every ten seconds. Michele knew something was up. As long as there were no problems she didn't care who came to dinner. Every few minutes or so I would dip into everyone's head to make sure no one was too uncomfortable. What I found was that we all making an effort to see past each other's quirks and differences. It wasn't the most normal gathering of family members. There were two telepaths; a were panther and a fairy. If we couldn't find a place with each other we weren't going to find it any place else.

**Eric**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**A Different Place And Time**

Since my return from Nevada I have been working from first dark until very close to dawn. The visit of my maker and the two week excursion had left me behind. That was something I simply could afford. In my absence from the bar Pam had done what she could. There were still things that required my signature and/or approval. There was an ever growing pile of paper work on my desk. I still had to put in my hours on the floor. This did not excuse me from fulfilling my duties as sheriff. There were drainers that had to be hunted and punished. There were requests from vampires that wanted to reside in my area. They had to be screened. Bills computer program made that easier than it normally would have.

There were more pressing matters that I had to attend to. The first was settling the affairs of my maker. He left behind some money and several properties as well as some debt. As I was his only surviving child it would all come to me. Mr. Cataliades has been working on this while I was gone. In the end it looked like I would be left with a twenty thousand dollars and a shit hole in Romania. The finalities of those negotiations haven't been reached yet. This was a drawback of living in the open. It complicated some procedures that could be easier. Everything was stalled with human red tape that now applied to me.

The Victor problem was still very much a problem. Running into him a Las Vegas added fuel to his fire like I anticipated. Anticipating it didn't make it any less bothersome. Maintaining surveillance on him was becoming increasingly difficult. He was less secure. It was making more cautious. That diminished my greatest advantage against him. To complicate matters there was now the nightly phone calls that came in from Arkansas. Word came to me by way of Compton that my phones were under surveillance. I had several guesses as to who would want me monitored. I was not greatly perturbed by this. Phones only served as a means to be notified of rapidly changing events. The most important of my affairs was conducted face to face or through one of my subordinates. I had never been fully comfortable using technology, I never trusted it. I could use it as an advantage to plant false trails and set traps.

I had just finished the last of the paper work when I heard Pam outside my door. She knocked lightly. "Enter" I said without looking up. "Eric" She sounded uneasy. Well as uneasy as Pam ever sounded. I looked up then. "Master our list of allies grows thin" The day after the takeover I had sent word out to Cleo's maker. He was a Lieutenant in Hawaii. She had mentioned that she was beloved by him. "Matthew is out" She said. I did not let my face betray any emotion. This was not entirely unexpected but it was still unpleasant especially now.

I needed more than bodies I needed powerful friends. Kentucky was my only ally at this point. He was not especially powerful but it was better than nothing. I would have hoped for Russell. He was powerful he had just forged an alliance with Bertrand. They both escaped Rhodes with minor injuries. It was for those two strokes of their good fortune that I did not go to them. They would literally have nothing to gain, except a telepath whom I was unwilling to share. Stan would also have been a good choice. He already had a telepath. There was history of good faith between us. But he had been severely wounded. All his efforts were directed at maintaining his rule. He could not afford to spread himself at the moment.

Kentucky was in because he liked Sophie-Anne. He liked her Kingdom more. With DeCastro he no hopes of getting even the faintest taste of it. With me his odds were way better. While I thought Pam was looking at me intently. "Eric perhaps we…" I shook my head. I knew what she was going to say it was not the first time she suggested it. If I was practical then Pam was even more so. She was calculating, pragmatic to the T. The same night we were spared from being killed during the takeover she wanted to cut out and run. We had both heard of Victor and we knew what he wanted. An open rebellion would get us all slaughtered. Outmaneuvering Victor was proving to be exceedingly difficult. In her mind that left us only one obvious choice. Pam was not a coward. Far from it, no one of those choices appealed to her more than the other. It was the precariousness of our current state she hated.

The downside to running is that we would have to run overseas. Sookie would have to come. It was nothing for vampires to move and reinvent themselves. For millenniums it was how we lived. It would be extremely difficult for her. We would be considered traitors to our king. There were very few kingdoms that would offer us asylum. We would always be running. Running also meant abandoning all the other vampires from the old regime. That too was something I was not ready to do. I was confident I could best Victor at his own game. It was proving to be a bit more difficult than I anticipated. I still believed it to be possible. Running was purely a last resort. In which event I would order Pam to go without me. I had worked too hard to get where I was to let it all go. I was in too deep. When there is no way back you have to push further in to find a way through.

With the prospect of Matthew off the table I began to contemplate Nathaniel any aid he would be willing to offer. "It is fine. It makes no difference" She nodded. "He has sent his child" Her voice held distaste. I arched an eyebrow. "Alana something or another" She shrugged. "Send her in" At least that wasn't a complete loss. I could use another able body to even out the playing field a bit. When Pam opened the door the commotion from the bar was clearly audible. Someone was brazen enough to start a fight in my bar. Pam headed out I followed in close behind her. A vampire was wrestling with a group of human men. I would guess that this vampire's human life ended when she was barely a woman. If she wasn't half naked she could pass for a young boy. She was beautiful as we all were. Her features were sharp; dark slanted eyes; high cheek bones; her lips were painted a very bright red. Her hair was jet black and too short and angular to be considered feminine. Pam was wearing a grim smile. "Master, meet Alana"

The music had stopped the fighting continued. No one human or vampire lifted a hand to aid either side. The bar was short staffed. The vampires that worked here were all occupied. Maxwell had taken Pam's place at the door. Indira was behind the bar. Thalia was forbidden under pain of exile and a very exorbitant fine from being involved in any fights. She showed no restraint. The visiting vampires did not know Alana but they knew she would have hell to pay and they wanted no parts of it. They watched with exposed fangs and hungry eyes. The humans knew better. Some were clinging to the walls in pure terror. They were the tourists. Others were watching with a mixture of fear and excitement. They were the regulars. I watched to see what stature of a fighter she was. It was obvious she wasn't using her full strength and she was in control of her herself. The group of humans consisted of four men they were of large builds. That was probably what gave them the confidence to take on a vampire. Fools. She had already laid out two of them. A third managed to clasp his hands around her pinning her arms to her side. Another broke a stool and made a stake. Alana swung her legs up to both sides of the humans head. She wrapped them around his neck and flipped him unto his back and landed nimbly on her feet. She was a graceful fighter.

Before this could go any further I signaled for Pam to stop it. When she joined the fight the humans reconsidered their position. They did not need to be told to leave. I walked over to Alana. "You. Come with me" My tone dared her to refuse. I turned and began walking towards my office. The atmosphere returned to normal almost immediately. The vampires were once again their bored selves with the presence of blood removed. The humans were feeling quite audacious for having witnessed and survived a fight in a vampire bar. The music returned before I reached my office.

Once we got in my office I rounded on Alana. "What is your purpose here" Her face was blank. "My master sent me" The second she spoke the reason for Pam's disapproval became apparent. She was a smaller version of Thalia. She was scowling as if everything she saw offended her. Her tone held contempt not just for me but for everything in sight. I waited for her to continue. Her tone was bitter. "I am to serve you until you no longer have need or until he calls me" Matthew wasn't fooling me. There was no doubt that she was a skilled fighter. But he also had trouble keeping her under control. I would also guess that he has run out of places to send her where she would not be an affliction. I looked at her. The need I had for good fighters was conflicting with my common sense. I already had Thalia on my hands. Keeping her on leash was not an easy thing. Adding Alana to it may prove to be a mistake. The idea I came up would serve as both a punishment and a means to control her.

"Your punishment" She interrupted me. "They started it" She said. "They bumped me" I glared at her. "That was not reason enough to get into a bar brawl" I began to wonder how old she was. Depending on her age she may be useless. There was nothing I could do if she was running off instinct. "No" She said "It was not. They bumped me then tried to make me apologize" She sounded disgusted. I had to admit that was very disrespectful. Another vampire would have waited and bided their time. They would have followed the group somewhere secluded and thought them their place. "How old are you" She seemed to think about it. "Two hundred give or take a few decades" That did not explain her lack of self-control. This was her temperament. Coming out did not favor vampires like her. The interactions that occurred when you lived amongst humans were too much for them. They preferred the old ways of hunting in the night and living in solitude.

"As I was saying as punishment you will pay for the damages to any property" Her scowl deepened but she nodded. "You will work here as our new bartender" That was a good cover. From the look on her face I was torturing her, good. "You need a place to nest?" she nodded. I went and sat behind my desk and called the bar. "Pam send Thalia back" She could already guess what I was up to and I could practically see the frown on her face. I was solving a few problems at the moment we were going to have to be tolerant. Seconds later Thalia knocked on my door. "Enter" She did not so much as spare Alana a glance. "Sheriff" I wondered if they were aware they were wearing the same expression. "Thalia this is Alana" she turned and gave her a scowl one which she returned. "She will nest with you for now" Thalia was infuriated. I pretended not to notice. "You will show her the way of things in my area" I turned to Alana. "Another step out of line and I will relieve you of your feet" If she thought being the child of Matthew would be enough to save her she was sadly mistaken. This seemed to bring Thalia a dash of comfort. She wanted to be free of her as soon as possible. I dismissed them. Pam would attend to integrating her into her role here at the bar.

Tonight I was going to follow Victor. Word came from Rasul. He was in area twelve: Alexandria. That was the main hanger for most of his actives. I found a place close to him and rested there. At first dark I followed him. He was stationed in a vampire hotel. For the most part he remained in doors. He had a lot of traffic coming to him. Ideally I was hoping to catch him alone. If I could do away with him in someone else's area I would have no worries about being incriminated. I knew I would not get such an opportunity. He was not a fool. As of late he has been expending his time strengthening his hold on other areas of the state. Mine was not proving as easy to break as he thought.

I knew this was not the day to make him finally dead. I was not here for him. Rasul had informed me that there was particular henchman that could be a problem. He was the person that Victor used as a tentacle to other states. It allowed him to grow his base of support. I was here for him. Also I needed the exact numbers Victor had and who he traveled with. It would show me who he kept close. Using Bill's computer program I could track down their ages and any special skills they may possess. In the event of a fight I would already know what targets to take out preemptively.

My attack tonight would give him reason to pause. It would also keep him occupied for some time. I watched and waited. Then I saw my target. He was screening all the vampires that entered the hotel. My task would involve some improvising because it would mean a swift final death if I was seen anywhere near here. I found a human woman. She was appealing I glamoured her. The procedure was not as callous as it normal would have been. I took my time. I made sure she felt comfortable and safe. If not her fear would show through the role I was sending her to play. When I was done I watched from a distance.

She went into the hotel. I watched as the small cut I made on her arm was proving to be too much for the target. When she left he followed. I followed from the roof tops. He was feeding from her. He was distracted. I dropped down behind him. My hands went over his mouth to muffle any noise he would make. I drove a steak into his chest and threw him to the ground. I grabbed the woman and brought her to the bar where I found her. "You do not feel well. You want to go straight home and sleep" She nodded. I took off into the night. The blood of the woman at the scene would be enough to hide my scent. Depending how late he was found her scent would be lost as well.

In terms of my duties as sheriff I had brought myself ahead of the curve. In regards to the matter of Victor I had occupied him. I decided to go see my lover. It wasn't especially late but she was asleep. I let myself into the house. The smell of fairy was strong in the air. I was becoming acquainted with it to the point where it longer clouded my mind. There was also the faint scent of were. I was walking into the kitchen and I saw that small child again. The lights were off but he knew someone was there. He turned on the light and didn't seem startled by my presence. I wondered what he was doing awake I was sure Sookie had laid him down to rest. He stared at me momentarily. "You are a vampire" He said. He was anxious but not afraid. I wondered if he remembered seeing me the first night I saw him. I remained where I was in an attempt not to frighten him. I smiled and nodded. Then I wondered how he knew. He was a child. I doubted he had come across a lot of vampires. Some adults took longer to make that deduction. "Did you want to go into the closet again?" He was bright indeed. I assumed he would have chalked up our first meeting as a dream.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I wasn't sure what people did with children these days but I assumed he shouldn't be roaming the house while Sookie slept. He nodded but remained where he was. "I had a bad dream and I was going to sleep with aunt Sookie when I heard you" I sighed. I knew I should be amendable to the child but after over a week without Sookie I didn't want to share. He moved to the fridge. He got out a bottle of blood and a gallon of milk. He handed me my blood I put it in the microwave. He poured his glass of milk and waited for my drink to warm before he began drinking. This was amusing. I wasn't sure how to proceed. I didn't want to wake Sookie to attend to him but I didn't want to do it either. If it wouldn't make her angry I would glamour him into going back to sleep.

"What is it like being a vampire?" The answer to that question was eons past his bounds of comprehension. A child his age should be absorbed by the dull things that make up a vampire; our fangs; our coffins and so on. I looked at him trying to see what it was that made him different. He did not waver under my gaze he was looking at me expectantly. "It is the same as being human. Only we eat different things. We can only go out at night" That was the lamest explanation I could provide him with. "Oh" He sounded disappointed it made me smile. "I just always hear people say how vampires are different" He shrugged as if to cast off the hearsay. "We are different. We don't breathe for one. We are faster and stronger" This got his attention he became visibly excited. "Like superman" I wasn't familiar with who that was. "Who is he?"

His face was awe struck. He left and quickly returned with a magazine he passed along to me. On the cover there was a picture of a creature soaring through the air. He had on a costume of blue and red with an "S" on his chest. He was wearing a cape. As I looked through it quickly he explained the story of this superman. He was an alien. The yellow sun of our earth makes him stronger. For this reason he parades around in his undergarments and tights thwarting evil doers, free of charge. This was very farfetched in deed but I found myself interested. His arch nemesis Lex Luthor was an enemy anyone would be happy to have. He was a fool. Instead of making quick work of superman he always prolonged the final blow with an epilogue, which would allow his prey to escape.

I was also certain in a fight I would wipe the floor with this man of steel. I told him so. "No way" He said. I nodded. "I can fly and I am just as fast if not faster" He gave me look that told me he was not convinced. He was not as naïve as I remember children being in my time. I moved from the table and levitated to the sink and back again. He gasped in shock. I turned with a smug smile. "Okay but he has heat vision" He was wearing a triumphant grin. He had me there. I let my feet touch the ground. "I heal quickly" I retorted. He was thoroughly impressed. "Are you aunt Sookie's husband?" I shook my head. "I will be" He reclined in his chair. "Wow aunt Sookie knows a super hero" I smiled only if she shared his admiration of me. "I'm not a hero" I corrected. No good would come from that delusion. I was sure he was going to suggest I adopt a costume and begin crime fighting when Sookie woke. We became aware of it at the same time. I felt her stir through the bond I couldn't explain how he knew.

Just as the answer came to me Sookie walked into the kitchen. The scene in front of her was as shocking as it was amusing. "Hunter what are you doing out of bed?" He stood up looking guilty. "I had a bad dream I going to come to your room when I saw…" He didn't know my name. "Eric" She supplied he nodded. "Back to bed" She took his hand. Before he left he turned to me. "It was nice to meet you Eric" I smiled and nodded. "It was nice to meet you Hunter" She led him back into the room. Thankfully he would not be sleeping with her.

I rinsed out my bottle of blood and his glass of milk. I waited for Sookie in bed. A few minutes later she returned. "Hi" she said. "Hello" she crawled next to me. Just being next to her after so long eased any tension in my body. I knew it was the same for her. Neither of us spoke for some time. "Do you think of having children of your own?" She seemed to stop and start then she was quiet contemplating her response. "No" True to form she never responded the way I thought she would. "Never" I qualified. I was looking into her face. I knew she was being honest but I still couldn't believe it. "Not really. Reading minds made it impossible to date humans" I had suspected but I wasn't sure of that fact even prior to her being with Bill. "Was Bill your first lover?" She nodded. Then she continued "I'm so immersed in the world of supes that any child I ever have would have a huge target on its back. I couldn't have one anyway knowing that even if it was possible" Her tone wasn't sad or resentful. It was matter of fact. She was being completely rational about an emotional decision. "Why did you ask?"

"I thought it may be why you didn't want to be turned" She blanched at that subject the way she always did. It was beginning to anger me. "I don't need a reason" She said a bit sharply. When she made her choice known I had agreed. I knew even then it would hurt to let her go. I cared deeply for her. I felt she was too valuable. She would make an excellent vampire; her temperament; her gift. It would make for a formidable immortal. But I would never rob her of her choice. No matter how insurmountable the pain would be. Doing so would be the most selfish and unloving act of my very long existence.

Pam is not the only immortal I had ever created. Shortly after being released from Ocella I quickly created my own child. I wanted the feeling of completely dominating another. To exert enough control to make someone do all of the things they were unwilling to do. I was in a dark place and Evelyn suffered. I did to her all of what Ocella done to me. I stripped her of her free will and sought to build her in my image. Breaking her was all I succeeded in doing. I could never understand how my maker could claim to love me but cause me pain. I discovered that for myself and even more.

She set out on her own like all children must. But she returned to the country of her human life. I knew then she wanted to die. She wanted to free herself of me. She wanted to feel something from a time before I crossed her path. Fully shedding ones humanity takes several decades she knew she was not old enough. Returning to your home of origin is prohibited for many reasons. You risked recognition and exposure. For young vampires it caused a vast emotional upheaval if they lingered too long. In extreme cases they went mad. The conflicting emotions from going from one species to the next were too much to handle when surrounded by all those memories. She did not survive it.

That experience changed me. I let go of all the anger I had for my maker. I wanted to be nothing like him in any sense. Everything was different when I found Pam. It was true that I had taken her life out of loneliness and desire the way Ocella had taken mine. But I took comfort in her assessment that she was made for this life. She was granted freedom from the second she opened her eyes to this life. I never used edicts on her; I had never forced her into sex; I gave her all that I could to ensure her safety and her happiness. Regardless of these facts it was nihilism to think I was that much better than my maker. It is a confusing thing. Given all I had done; taking into account how much I loved her every so often I felt a twinge of remorse for turning her.

Sookie has what we both didn't, a choice. I felt she was choosing wrong. Even still I would never be able to live with feeling her resentment or her hatred if I did not go along. The truth was we were tightly bound, inextricably so. Our bond would never allow one to wholly live without the other. When her human life ended she would leave me mourning and grieving her for all time. My existence would be transformed into a hollow half-life; full of torment; and heartache. That was the best I could hope for. Although I was sure I would meet the sun of my own volition before I allowed myself to become so decrepit.

"It would hurt you" She murmured. She held me tighter. She could already feel the despair stirring within me from the pain the bitter lash of mortality would someday bring. "You cannot imagine" I whispered. Vampires did not remain in physical relationships with one another for too long. Our blood is stronger. The constant exchange of blood between the two was too much to handle it affected the mind. In extreme cases cognitive ability became completely distorted. It was too late for me. I did not know why. There was no precedent for me to draw from. It could be because of her Fae blood; it could also be a hidden effect of the curse I suffered. It might be because of the circumstances under which the bond was forged. It could be a compilation of all three or none. There was magic involved in forging bonds the depths of which vampire still did not know.

"Would it be easier for you if we stopped seeing each other?" I smiled. We could try but we would quickly find it was impossible. "No" She was thinking of someway to help. "Just tell me why?" I said. Understanding why she chose a fleeting human life over immortality might be helpful. "I just can't live the way you all do" She sounded almost sorry. Almost "The way vampires see humans is…" She did not have words she just shook her head sadly. Vampires' castoff their humanity to help them exist in this world it did not make us unfeeling. It merely changed the amplitude of things that moved us. It was rear that we ever came across something or someone that was enough to move us. When we did we preserved it.

"I don't ever want to do to other humans what some vampires have done to me or tried to do" She took a deep breathe "Mostly I don't want to live so long that nothing I value now has meaning" She looked into my eyes "I never want to see the day when feeling love and compassion and caring equal a weakness in my own eyes" I didn't respond. She became anxious. "I'm sorry I…" I kissed her. I understood but it did nothing for the pain. I didn't want to think about this anymore. I wanted more than comfort. I needed her to make me forget everything else but her right now. We did not have centuries. I wanted to enjoy the little time I had been allotted. As she slept I slipped her ring on her finger then I was gone.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**A Bad day Through and Through**

The more I tried to push the were summit to the back of my mind the faster time seemed to travel. Sunday came faster than I would have liked. That day I woke up with a gut feeling. There was a little voice in the back of my mind telling me to stay home. Nothing good ever happened when supes converged in one place. That gut feeling didn't let me have anything to eat. I was on edge all day. Today's shift seemed to fly by. Probably because I was hoping it would last all night. Before I knew it, it was time to begin closing. Calvin was in the bar but he was hanging back. He would be taking the drive up with Sam and me. I was taking my time double cleaning salt and pepper shakers. Eventually there was nothing else I could do to stave off the inevitable

The phone rang. It made me jump. Sam answered it. His faced got all scrunched up and he waved to indicate it was for me. That was weird no one ever called me here. I picked out of his head that it was Eric. I went to answer it. "Hey" I said. "I know you are afraid. You do not have to go" I smiled. He had been privy to my nerves as was always the case. Telling him I was indebted to the pack was not an easy conversation. I had to remind him our wager in Vegas. I had won and I requested that all his highhandedness cease and decease immediately for the duration of our relationship and my life (which ever came first). He already tricked me into marrying him I was afraid of what he might do next for my own good without my knowledge.

The choice was mine to make. He was angry but I didn't see what other choice there was. After what happened the other night I may need them. He had to admit that he couldn't always be available. I needed to remain in the packs good graces. "I'm not scared I'm nervous there's a difference" I was trying to lighten the mood for both our sakes. He wasn't amused. "Regardless. You do not want to go" I could practically see his brows pucker. He had me there. When did I ever want to be dragged into vampire shit or two natured troubles? I had said I would go. I was going to go. "Are you going to make a liar out of me?" He was quiet. "Be safe" His voice was tight he didn't like being trumped in arguments. "Okay" He hung up. Sam was giving me a sour expression.

"Sure he wants get all worried when you want to help were's" I turned to glare at him. There was a lot he didn't know about how Eric was keeping me safe. "When I do things for vampires he's there to watch my back" Sam could be such an ass sometimes. "We need to saddle up" Calvin chimed in to end the impending argument. I turned and marched out of the bar. I drove Calvin navigated. Sooner than I would have liked we were pulling into a series of industrial buildings. For the most parts they looked abandoned. The only signs of life came from the trucks that were parked around the most rickety of all the buildings. The paint was chipping so bad I couldn't even guess what the sign once said. This building looked unstable. You can say whatever you want about vampires but they picked much better venues for their events.

I took a deep breath and forced myself out of the car. Calvin and Sam were walking on either sides of me. The building had an overwhelming stale odor. The inside was just as decrepit as the outside. In the center of the room was a cage much like the one used for the pack master competition. There were tables and chairs that surrounded it from all sides. Total there were six tables. The pack masters from the areas were already seated. The first person I noticed was Quinn. He looked the same; bald, and shirtless. He was putting the finishing touches on the cage. Alcide was sitting at one of the tables. Jennalynn was there looking like her usual vicious self. There were two other members of the Shreveport pack with them. We made our way to Alcide. I looked around the statistics were all the same, seven weres at each table. I was a little confused because Alcide had six weres and me.

At one of the tables was Sandra pelt. I was kicking myself for going along with this. I should have known. Of course Alcide wouldn't tell me she was going to be here. "Hey Sookie" Alcide said. I glared at him. If I didn't drive Sam and Calvin here I would be storming out right now. He looked away he knew exactly what he did. Sandra pelt was one of the many people I would have been happy never to see again. Here I was in a were summit facing her. Her eyes narrowed and she was watching my every twitch. I focused on what I came here to do. I was trying unsuccessfully to ignore her. She was picturing ripping my throat out and killing me in a variety of ways. She was a psycho and so was her sister. In fact something was wrong with that whole family, parents and all.

Quinn went and stood in front of the cage. "This gathering starts now" He was looking around "You will remain in your seat. Except to accept a challenge that has been permitted by your pack master" His eyes lingered on Sandra she bared her teeth at him. He smiled. They all nodded. I could really do without seeing a fight. He crouched where he stood and left the packs to it.

"We would like to know why you have brought a human" A short burly man asked. His question was obviously directed at Alcide obviously. Alcide didn't respond. Another man spoke. He had a slimy salt and pepper look going on. "A vampire fucker at that, have you no shame" My glare was fixed on this man. He was Sandra's pack master and she was grinning from ear to ear. He was looking at me like I was something he stepped in. Alcide just looked around and when it looked like the name calling was over he spoke. "For those of you who do not know she is a telepath" It seemed just about everyone knew but the first man who started with the questions. "She is also friend to my pack and she has earned more stripes than some people here" His eyes went to Sandra. "She is here to help ferret out traitors, something we are all worried about" He spat out the word traitors like it was a slap intended for Sandra's pack master.

All eyes were now on me. I was bombarded with thoughts of my ability. There were several minds tinged with anxiety at what I could do. I figured they were the ones with something to hide. One of the minds belonged to Mr. Salt and pepper. Intentionally I locked eyes with him. I stared with inappropriate intensity the way vampires did when they were using glamour. He looked away feeling like I was trying to jump into is skull. I smiled. What an Idiot. I kept my gaze on him. He was deliberately trying to jumble his thoughts. I feigned confusion and focused on other minds. There was a tall amazon looking woman that came with another pack. She was stealing and sleeping with a married man. That wasn't the most horrible thing I've ever heard. More importantly it wasn't what I was here for.

The conversation of the were's moved on. There was an agenda of items that were to be discussed. Redrawing boundary lines and problems they were facing from the government were a few of them. They suggested lending a hand to local police department when they could. They would take cases like missing children and runaways to help with their overall public image. This went on and on. I was bored. I was also becoming exhausted from focusing so hard on blurry minds. To my surprise everyone stayed in their seats. The discussions got heated but no challenges were issued. The meeting drew to a close.

I got up and stretched my legs. The weres had broken into small side discussions. Alcide was having words with a Pack master that he seemed to admire. I hung back and put a great deal of distance between the pack and me. I heard the woman tell Alcide she was expecting. That was when Sandra's pack master slipped. I gasped and I locked eyes with him. My stomach churned and my face was horror struck. He knew I knew. He was already running in my direction his pack was already falling in place to flank him. My head was screaming for me to run or scream for help. I just stood frozen watching my impending death. No one else noticed this except Quinn.

Sandra's pack was close but he was faster. He jumped in front of me in his tiger form. He only had time to shift but not enough time to defend himself. I heard a spine tingling crunch. Quinn roared out in pain and raked his massive paw across the face of the closet wolf. In the same motion he was pushing against me to get my back against the wall. He was limping and he was dragging his front left paw instead of walking on it. I assumed that was what I heard crack. At this point everyone had caught on and all of Sandra's pack was in their various animal forms. I heard their snarls and saw their teeth snapping. You can tell they hand hunted and fought together. Their advance was in sync; completely choreographed. Their formation left Quinn surrounded and his back was literally against the wall. They lunged and the fight began. Even with Quinn in front of me I had to duck to keep my head on my shoulders. From my place on the floor I could see everyone was standing back to back with their pack members. Some had already shifted they just didn't know where the danger was. Quinn was barely managing to keep them from ripping his throat out. I heard Sam shouting for me and I was calling for him but he couldn't see me. There was a lot of commotion.

Someone yelled "John" It was Alexis. I didn't know what she was doing here but I was sure glad to see her. Quinn made a pained barking noise. "John" she shouted. This time her voice was damn near hysterical. I saw her begin sprinting. Everyone in her way fell to the side. She leapt high off the ground and cleared the tables and landed on top of the cage. Then she crouched and shot out like a tightly wound coil. The force of her launch brought her directly in front of me when she landed. Somewhere in the seconds she was in the air she had shifted. Her form was easily the most petrifying thing I had ever seen; hands down; bar none; terrifying. The appearance of her fur wasn't so much a tiger as it was a spotted lion. Two of Sandra's pack members were under her paws.

She gave a frightening roar; it was deep; it made this crap shack shake. All the other weres that had surrounded us slunk back. There was a wolf that didn't move fast enough for her liking. She swiped a massive paw at lighting fast speeds. He went flying against a beam snapping it in half. She stomped on the two under her paw and kicked them aside. Then she faced the room and roared one more time. It was dead quiet for all of two seconds. Quinn must have been holding on by the skin of his teeth because the minute Alexis landed he fell to the side taking me with him. That knocked all the air out of my lungs. I was seeing spots and I could feel blood trickling down my legs. I was pinned in a sitting position against the wall with Quinn lying barely conscious across my legs.

The fighting began. Alexis turned her back to them. She brought her huge head down to Quinn's and nuzzled him. He gave a labored pant. A high pitched whine escaped her lips. Even in her animal form the level of adoration she had for him was overly apparent. She licked his face and brought one of her paws to his shoulder. He growled. This was all very sweet but Quinn was going to cripple me. "Alexis" I panted. She took notice of me for the first time. Nothing about the creature over me was familiar except the eyes. They were the same color as they were in her human form. She looked at the way I was stuck under Quinn and moved him. He made a yelping noise. I was able to hug the wall and wiggle free from under him. I didn't feel any pain. Then I realized the blood on my legs wasn't mine.

Alexis moved to examine a huge gash down the hind quarter of Quinn's back left leg. She sniffed it, and then she licked it. I could tell Quinn was hurt pretty bad because he was trying to change back but couldn't. We had bigger problems. The building was collapsing. "Alexis" She turned to look at me. "We have to go the roof is caving in" She looked up sure enough the beam that she had thrown a were against had toppled and the roof was coming down in the area and it was causing a domino effect. She looked down at Quinn and she looked panicked. I could see tears in her eyes. She tried to rouse him but he was unconscious. She pushed her huge head into my stomach and looked towards the door. Quinn just saved my life I was not about to leave him to die.

"How are you going to get him out of here" She came to his head and I thought she was going to kill him. Her jaw opened wide putting her foot long canines on display. She brought her mouth around Quinn's neck. She began dragging him with deliberate care; her razor sharp teeth didn't break his skin. Together we made our way towards the door. We weren't moving as fast as we could because she was towing an unconscious tiger. The building had already emptied except for Sam. He was looking for me. "Sam" I called out. He saw me at once and began running out with us.

The building only held till we got to the door way. Then it folded like a house of cards-the cheap kind. Alexis dropped Quinn and knocked me on top of him. She literally kicked Sam out the door. Then she came and laid over me and Quinn. Instinctively I curled into a little ball. I couldn't see anything but the under carriage of her gigantic form. The last thing I heard was Sam screaming my name. After that there was a lot of noise much like you would expect to hear when a building collapsed. There was a lot of dust I coughed and covered my face. When it was quiet Alexis pushed against all that was on her back. Then I was looking at the night sky. She shook her entire body and bits of plaster and wood went flying. Through all that Quinn had come around. I got off him. Alexis dipped the top half of her body next to him. It took a lot of effort but he managed to get the top half of his body across her back. I walked on the other side of her and we made it out of the rubble.

Alcide, Calvin and Sam came running towards us. She bared her teeth and snarled. They stopped dead in their tracks. "It's okay they're okay" She nodded and they came forward. All the packs were still there. Sandra's pack looked to be under arrest. Or close to it. They had changed back and they were surrounded. Alexis dropped Quinn gently on the floor and Calvin was having a look at him. "Did everyone get out okay" I asked Sam. He nodded. His hair was full of debris. His face was dirty I didn't want to know what I looked like. "We were the last ones out" I nodded.

Calvin was trying to get Quinn to change back. I went to the rest of the packs. "That guy" I pointed to Mr. Salt and pepper "James" Alcide supplied. "Yes. He's been hunting pregnant were's" All eyes were on him. I found out some time ago that pure bred female were's and shifters aren't to be killed. Even when packs fought wars they tried not to kill them if it could be avoided. The continuation of their species depended on it. "Why" the pregnant were Alcide had been speaking to skirted away from him clutching her stomach. "He takes out the fetus's and sells them to someone trying to find out what causes the mutation in your genes" Someone actually threw up. I didn't blame them. If there was anything in my stomach it would be coming up too.

The horde of angry two natured rounded on James and his pack. "Wait" They stopped. "Not all of them knew" Although they attacked me just now I was pretty sure they were following orders. "Find out which ones" Jennalynn growled. She was ready to start shredding people up. I nodded in this one instance I agreed. I went over to each of them. I was so tired I needed a few minutes of contact to get the truth out. The ones who didn't know were more than eager to give me their hands. He only had one other member of his pack in on it. I was surprised. Although Sandra was sleeping with this monster she didn't know what he was doing. She looked afraid when I touched her. She knew if I wanted I could tell a lie that would end her life. I didn't. I'm an idiot especially after I found that she knew James sent the two men Bubba killed.

Before the packs dispensed their justice I ran to the other side of the trucks. I didn't want to see. There was nothing I could do about the audio though. I went to check on Quinn. He had changed back and so had Alexis. They were both very naked. Alexis' bottom half was covered by the fact that Quinn was in her lap. Her long hair served to cover her breast. "Is he gonna be alright" She smiled and nodded. "My John is very strong, aren't you sweet heart?" She was stroking the side of his bald head. Quinn's eyes were closed. It was very obvious he was in pain but he smiled. It was like a scene from a romance novel but with a lot more blood, death and crumbled buildings.

"Thank you. You both saved my life in there" She waved me away. I took my sweatshirt off. "Here" the way I figured if she was using her hair to cover her chest she was somewhat modest. "I am not cold" Okay so she wasn't modest. "Humor her" Quinn said. His voice was weak but the amusement in his tone was evident. Alexis took notice of the way I was trying to avert my eyes and chuckled. I went over to her and pulled the shirt over her head she did the rest. "Sook you go on and get out of here" I looked at Sam. "Calvin's gonna be a while and so will Jenna" I nodded. They didn't have to tell me twice I've been ready to leave the moment I got here. I got in my car just as quick as my legs could carry me and began speeding home.

I have never been in a car accident. In fact I had an impeccable driving record. I do know getting into an accident less than twenty minutes from your house makes the whole thing worse. It's like being tagged out this close to home base. It was jarring; infuriating; frustrating and scary as hell. A dark sedan came out of nowhere and T-boned my car. The force of the collision sent my car spiraling across the road. I rolled and rolled and landed in a ditch. I sporadically shielded myself. In this instant I was a poster child for seat belts. I was sure mine kept me from going through the windshield. Shielded or not that wouldn't have been pretty. I was hanging upside down in my car. My heart was thundering in my ears. Through the noise I caught two mental voids coming towards me. Shit. Shit. Shit.

This wasn't an accident. It was an ambush; cold and calculated. I was thinking about Eric. He was angry and anxious and there was still the usual distance between us. There was nothing he could do for me now. I didn't know how to cloak. Even now I felt my shield waning. Adrenaline was pumping through me. I was thinking of a way to save myself. Screaming for help would do very little good. We were on a dark stretch of road late at night. I couldn't run in fact I was sure my door was jammed shut. I didn't have an ice cube's chance in hell of fighting off two vampires. The visual made me chuckle. "Get a hold of yourself Sookie" I saw a figure on the outside of my door. Like I suspected the door was jammed pretty good. It would only take him half a second to rip it away. Shit.

He didn't bother struggling with the door he kicked in the driver's side window. That popped the answer right into my brain and throw my lips "Dermot! Dermot! Dermot" I shouted it three times in case it worked the same way as calling beetle juice. I was sure this would work. These was dire straits if I ever saw them. By the second time I called his name my uncle had already appeared in front of me looking like the angel of death; beautiful; terrifying. His hair was blowing in the wind. The head lights of my car showed the hard set of his jaw and the glint of his sword. He charged towards the vampires. I was still suspended upside down in my car. I could only obscurely make out what was going on. I heard snarls and sickening thuds. Blood sprayed across the passenger side window. Before I could begin to worry that I had gotten my uncle killed he came walking out of the darkness. He came to the window that was kicked in. "Are you not glad you took the summons?" He was smiling and his tone was saying I told you so. He waited for me to unbuckle my seat belt then he half carried me out of the car.

I experienced a few minutes of vertigo as all the blood suddenly stopped rushing to my head. During which I just stared at my car or at least what was left of it. I knew it would never be drivable again. This was the second car I lost due to some vampire mishap. It was all beginning to get irritating. There was blood everywhere. Especially all over my fairy uncle he was smiling. "That wasn't difficult at all" He had the nerve to sound disappointed. I could see how he would get along with Pam. I knew we couldn't leave all of this the way it was. That was something I picked up from the last time Victor tried to kill me, destroy the evidence. Unlike last time I couldn't drive these cars anywhere. Nor did I want to I was tired. It just doesn't seem fair. He tries to kill me and I have to go through the trouble of covering it up. "Can you make their car disappear?" I asked. I didn't care where he sent them. "No, too much iron" Of course. "I can make them unrecognizable" I nodded "That would be great" I said. He smiled. I retrieved my purse out of my car but left some personal items I didn't mind parting with to make the whole thing believable.

Turns out the vampires that came to kill me brought two cars. They were probably going to make it look like I died in an accident. Then they would drive off into the night. I hung back. When Dermot said he would make them unrecognizable he meant he would cause them to explode. He was strong enough to push the cars around to resemble a realistic accident (he used his shirt to shield his hand). I wasn't sure if this was covered under my insurance but I hoped. While he did all this he whistled and looked merry. He even made small talk. He asked me if I wanted to go with him to Claude's other venue. Tomorrow was the grand opening. I agreed. I didn't know what else to say. He seemed to be marveling over his handy work. There was a seriously dark side to this fairy. I should be worried but I was just happy he was with me and not against me.

After he was done positioning them he came over to me "Are you an easy fainter?" He asked. I shook my head. "I could never afford to be" He smiled. He wrapped an arm around me. The scene around me shimmered and the ground under my feet fell out. The last thing I heard was a massive explosion that reminded of Rhodes and a fire. The next instant I was drowning and flying at the same time. This sensation lasted for a fraction of a second then my stomach began to twist. I couldn't open my eyes. If this was a ride at the amusement it would never stay clean. Finally my feet landed on something solid. I wobbled for a few seconds. Dermot was still holding onto me. My eyes focused and my footing got solid. "Never do that again" I breathed. He chuckled and led me to the couch. I gave him the short version of my very long night. He was angry that I didn't pay the larger fine and forgo the were meeting. I agreed. From what I've learned thus far supes shouldn't get together, not for parties or conventions, or summits. In fact they should refrain from congregating at all in any capacity.

Afterwards I went to take a shower. While I was there someone came knocking. It wasn't Eric he didn't knock. "What do you want?" Dermot's voice was cold and steely. "Is Sookie in?" It was Bill. "Leave" I was angry. Dermot didn't have the right to send people away from my house. It was understandable if he didn't want Bill inside but he didn't sound unnerved by him he seemed to hate him. "Tell her I stopped by" Bill's tone mirrored the hostility in Dermot's. Dermot scuffed at being asked to do something by someone he felt was so obviously beneath him. "I will not tell you again cretin, leave" Dermot's voice could only be described as poorly contained fury. He was scary fairy. I never wanted to earn that tone. Bill gave a small dark chuckle. I knew him well enough to know what was about to happen. I was already climbing out of the shower "You are awfully audacious for a banished half breed" I heard a snarl and a loud crashing noise. Bill had hit him below the belt so to speak Why did people always choose the front of my house for their death matches? I grabbed my towel and ran out.

Dermot and Bill were fighting. In that short span of time Bill had several slashes on his clothes and he was bleeding profusely. "Dermot! Bill! Stop!" I was shouting at them from the front porch. I had learned my lesson I wasn't going to jump in the middle of that. "Please" Dermot was unharmed. He looked furious. "I will end you" he spat. His teeth looked sharper and he was very close to looking inhuman. I ran down the steps. Dermot went after Bill he was obviously trying to kill him before I got there. Bill moved. He yanked Dermot by the hair and threw him to the ground. He lowered his head to bite. Dermot kicked Bill in the face with both feet. Prompting Bill to let him go then he rolled deftly to his feet.

They squared off again. Eric was close. I couldn't see him I felt it. "Eric Please Stop them" I screamed. No matter who won this fight I would lose. I was looking around the darkness. Eric landed in the space between Dermot and Bill. Pam landed behind him. "Compton return to your home now" Eric ordered. Bill scowled he looked murderous. Then he left. Pam went over to Dermot. She was grinning. Yup she and Dermot were a match made in heaven or hell depending on how you gauged their love of gore. He turned his sharp teeth towards her and sneered. She took another easy step in his direction. Then she was in his personal space. She watched his face and slowly his features returned to normal. He smiled. "That was your handy work we flew over" Pam asked. He nodded looking smug. "I think I want to fuck you more than I want to drain you" She sounded surprised by this realization. "Liar" He gave her a coy smile. She giggled like a school girl. "Okay it's about even" Eric watched his child's lewd behavior with curiosity. That was all I could stand. I spun my half naked behind back into the house. The supes on my lawn could carry on like that all night if they wanted.

**Eric**

**Chapter Twenty**

**A Hard Target**

When I rose with a frown on my face, Sookie was anxious. With good reason the were meeting was tonight. I did not approve, but she insisted. In truth her position made more sense. She paid the lesser fine and provided services I knew she would have offered anyway. The entire notion made me uneasy. It was dangerous. The organization of the two natured was in its early stages of conception. A place like that would be no place for a human. From what she has already told me they had traitors in their midst. I called her. Perhaps it was not too late for her to see reason. Her cell went unanswered. I called her work. Her shifter employer answered. "It is Eric. Where is Sookie?" Ordinarily I would have spared him a pleasantry or two. He exhaled deeply and did not reply. I waited.

"Hey" She said. She was attempting to make her voice light. Why she constantly tried to fool our bond was beyond me. "I know you are afraid. You do not have to go" It was highly unlikely she was looking for an out. It did not keep me from offering. "I'm not scared I'm nervous there's a difference" Of course. She had more courage than what was good for her. I felt a tirade building. She wasn't taking this as seriously as she should. "Are you going to make a liar out of me?" Her question caught me off guard. She had me and she knew it. She had made a practical decision, she had given her word. Reneging on the pack would put her out of favor with them. That was a safeguard she needed. "Be safe" It came out sharper than I intended. "Okay" I hung up. If anything befell her due to Alcide's negligence I would exterminate his pack.

I began preparing for my night. My ears perked up. Pam should be well on her way to Fangtasia around now. But she had just pulled into my driveway. I waited downstairs as she let herself into the house. The way she dressed was the first indicator that something was amiss. She wasn't in her usual Fangtasia drab nor was she in her preferred code of dress. She was dressed in a mixture between the two; black tank top; black jeans; and black heels. She was dressed to fit in at the bar but ready to fight. "Victor is in our area" Her posture was tense. This would be the first time I would see him since Las Vegas. "Where?" We both knew I wasn't the target. "He seems to be heading towards the bar" That was interesting. There was no mistaking. He was going to make a play. I became extremely glad that Sookie was surrounded by were's, some of whom would defend her. As long as she wasn't alone she would be fine. I would go to the bar and greet Victor after which I would go to her.

I explained my logic to Pam and she didn't relax. "It is more than that I think" I could tell she didn't know exactly what she was feeling or why. She just had a good nose for trouble. She reached behind her back and handed me a sheath with a silver dagger. The odds of us getting into a fight tonight were very slim. The fact that he was allowing himself to be seen at the bar meant he wasn't coming to do us harm directly. Then again he could be using it to lead us into a false sense of security. Victor was a devious. I took the dagger from her. "You have others?" She gave me a wicked grin. We did not leave my house until Maxwell Lee called saying Victor had arrived. Even then we took our time getting to there. I was paying attention to Sookie's emotions. There was nothing that alerted me that she was in danger. She was anxious but it was not overwhelming. When we arrived at Fangtasia I began to tune her out. Aside from the fact that something was boring her she was fine. In any case I couldn't afford any distractions if I was going to be around Victor for the evening.

There was a decent amount of activity on the premises for a Sunday. I made use of the parking lot out front. Pam and I got out. She fell in step to my right. Our faces were identical masks of clam, our strides were in sync. Our advance drew attention as it should. I left her at the door to uphold her usual role as bouncer. Making himself comfortable in my booth was Victor. I went over to him to pay respects. By respects I mean I gave him a curt nod. "Eric" He gave me smile. I returned it "Victor" He pointed to the empty space across from him. I sat. I forced myself to be the pillar of comfort while displaying the proper amount of boredom for the humans here.

"Where is the famed telepath?" His tone was absolutely buoyant and he was still wearing a smile. I wanted to slap it off his face. I shrugged to indicate indifference. "Being human" He nodded in understanding. "There are something's I need to discuss" I nodded. We stood and began heading towards my office two of his people came with us. Pam caught my eye as I disappeared into the back. I gave her a look to indicate she was to remain where she was. The fact that the entire bar had seen me leave with him was reassuring. Having Pam with me might complicate matters.

Immediately after seating I felt Sookie become revolted by something. She quickly became panicked. I have had over a thousand years to perfect belying emotion. I remained calm. There was no pain coming from her. Her fear peaked and keeping calm became difficult. I managed because she was not in pain at least any that I could feel. Victor began speaking. It was unclear whether he was aware of my anxiety. I forced myself to focus. As he spoke her fear began to abate somewhat. Victor continued speaking. He was discussing things with me that I usually heard from other sheriffs of the state.

He droned on about drainers and other mundane tasks that sheriffs had to stay on top of. Sookie was moving. She was eager about something probably to return home. Panic surged through me. I shot to my feet with my hands balled at my side. His guards rose. "Sookie is in danger" I saw this for what it was. It was a delay tactic. There was no doubt he had known all along where Sookie was. He had kept me and Pam here to ensure she would be alone. He had come here to occupy me while someone killed her. He knew I couldn't move fast enough to reach her. He knew he would have to allow me to leave. He did not have the excuse of not remembering the protection DeCastro offered her. If he kept me here and she died he would have hell to pay. He was on thin ice we both knew it. He nodded and feigned concern and surprise.

I opened my door Pam was already standing there with Indira. "Show them out" I called out to Indira. Together Pam and I barged through the back door of the bar and took off into the night air. I was shooting though the air as fast as I could. Pam couldn't fly as fast but she was dead on my heels. I was confused. Somewhere between feeling her panic and my time in the air she had vanished. I couldn't feel her. She wasn't dead she was just hidden somehow. I set a course for the location of the meeting. I landed next to a newly demolished building. Most of the were's were still present. I was immediately in front of Alcide. "Where is she" I growled. His pack came to flank him. Her employer came between us. "She went home" he said "Not too long ago" Before he finished his statement Pam and I were gone.

Her location wasn't coming in as clearly as it should neither were her emotions. If I had to use one word to describe her it would be silly. Under which her terror was still very raw. I couldn't make sense of it. Halfway to where I thought she was she disappeared again. Fear gripped me. This time her absence was total. I had only felt this once before. It was the night Lochaln and Neave took her. I pushed myself faster. I skidded to a halt over what looked like a car accident. Her car was on fire as were two others. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I ran towards her car. Pam perched herself on my back and wrapped an arm around my neck to restrain me. "Eric stop!" She was probably afraid I was going to throw myself into the burning car. Depending on what I saw I might have. Her physical imposition was negligible. I did not even spare the thought to order her to release me. The cars haven't been burning long. The closer I got to them the slower my pace became. Finally I got close enough to see throw the flames of her car. There was no body. Pam released me and together we carefully looked through all three cars and the surrounding area.

There were two sets of foot prints that led from the side of the road into a ditch. On the path up from the ditch there were two but they were not the same. A fight had taken place. It was almost impossible to identify who was involved. The scent of the fairy was present. Only because it was very familiar and he had used magic which carried a stronger scent. The flames shrouded everything else in smoke even Sookie's scent was washed away. Her car was the only indication she had been there "Send Bill to check her house" Pam called Compton from her cell. She did not give him the specifics just to check to see if Sookie was in. I began to feel Sookie return within me it was gradual but I could feel her. She was home. I couldn't explain it I didn't care. I quickly dispersed the foot prints and took off again.

Something was making her anxious. I smelled blood, Compton's blood. It was likely he had been wounded in her defense. "Eric Please stop them!" Sookie was calling out for me. It was unclear who I should be stopping. After clearing the woods that surrounded her home I saw the fairy and Compton. I landed in between them Pam landed behind me. Obviously these two were in the middle of settling some kind of disagreement. From the looks of it Bill was going to lose. Sookie was barefoot and soaking wet with a towel around her body "Compton return to your home now" I ordered. I had no idea what started this and I really did not care. He seemed to have difficulty following the simplest of instructions. This was the second time I had asked him to check on her. This was the second time it had ended in a fight. If she had been injured again nothing would keep him from my retribution. He scowled and left. The fairy was seriously close to losing control.

Pam went over to him. She was grinning. From the day she met him she has had an unhealthy infatuation with him. True she was drawn to him the way all vampires were to fairies but it was more than that. She was conflicted about draining him. That was the greatest sign of affection a vampire could show a fairy. Dermot turned his fangs towards her. She took a bold step in his direction. Then she took a few others that brought her within striking distance of him. He pulled in her scent with deliberate breathes. His features began to revert back. Then he smiled. The attraction was not one sided. The magnetism between the two of them was impossible to understand. They were inherent enemies; vampire and fairies. I would guess the draw was due to their attraction to danger and their love for living on the wild side if you will.

"That was your handy work we flew over" Pam asked. He nodded looking quite pleased with himself. Pam too was impressed. "I think I want to fuck you more than I want to drain you" She lied with perfect serenity. He was smart enough not to be fooled. "Liar" She giggled blithely. Which was not normal for her "Okay it's about even" He smiled brighter. Sookie turned and stormed back into her home slamming the door behind her. She has withstood all that she could tonight. "Why do you allow him to live after he did?" Dermot asked me. He wanted Compton dead there was little doubt he would make it happen. "He serves to defend her" I said. The vampires from the old regime had to stick together for the time being. "Killing him would make her very unhappy" He scowled and looked across the cemetery to Bill's home. I couldn't tell if he would adhere to what I said. In either case there was nothing I could do to stop him.

"What happened" I asked him. "You are aware she went to the gathering of mongrels?" I nodded. It was apparent he did not know. It was also apparent he did not approve. "A fight broke out. A tiger called Quinn defended her. He was harmed, his mate kept them safe while the building collapsed over their heads" He shook his head in distaste. I ground my teeth. If the perfect opportunity presented itself I could not kill Quinn, not after he defended her. "On her way home she was ambushed by two vampires" There was no doubt this was Victor's doing. "Can you describe the vampires you saw?" He nodded. He focused on the space between us. The fight he was involved in appeared before me. The figures were ghostly in appearance but it was enough to show me what I needed to know. They were two of Victor's underlings they had been present at Sookie's home the night of the invasion. I couldn't help but smile He was losing bodies at alarming rate.

I was still waiting for him to explain how he came to be at the scene. He didn't he was eyeing Pam who was beginning to creep behind his back. "How did you know to go to her aid?" He shrugged. From the look on his face I knew he would not explain further. There were other more important questions I needed answered. "She disappeared from our bond twice" He nodded. "She shielded herself to prevent bodily harm during the crash. Then I transported her here" While he spoke Pam was inching closer to him. Her intent was clear. He was aware of this he seemed to be testing her control. "In both instances your bond with her is blinded for some time" I nodded. Pam sprang. He side stepped her and caught her wrist and wound her arm behind her back. His other hand went around her neck. "That was not polite" he said. Pam was fully overpowered by his scent. The fairy was not alarmed by this. Neither was I. I was certain he wouldn't hurt her much. And if she managed to get her fangs into him it was his own fault. He kissed and nipped at her neck. I left them. Pam was more than capable of handling herself.

Sookie was taking a bath. Her face was covered with a wash cloth while she soaked. I removed my shirt and shoes and went to kneel by the tub. The smell of Quinn as well as a saber tooth tiger was pouring off her discarded clothes. That was interesting. I was moving silently but she knew I was there. I removed the wash cloth. I dipped it into the water and began running it over her body. "Do you want to tell me about it?" I already had the bullet points but she may still want to talk. "I'm sick of people trying to kill me. I'm sick of fights happening around me. I'm also sick of having them happen on my front yard" All those complaints were out of her control and mine. "My uncle is an asshole" She fumed. I smiled. That was one fairy I respected. Most fairies were elitists they did not like to get their hands dirty for the most part. Some like Dermot were fighters. Magic wouldn't be his first line of defense. He found the thrill in a good fight and he seemed to chase it. "He attacked Bill for no good reason" She concluded. That assumption was incorrect. "He knows what Bill did to you" I said gently. That was not something we had ever discussed. I remember how much it pained me to watch her as he confessed what he had done. The fairy had just cause to want him dead.

"Oh" She was quiet I continued to wash her body. "How did you come across a saber tooth tiger lover?" She came out of her reverie then. "Alexis was there with Quinn." She said. "That is his mate?" She nodded. "I'm glad I did her that favor in Vegas" I waited for her to explain. "I saw Quinn in Vegas. Alexis was with me. She asked for an introduction" She shrugged. It occurred to me that she never mentioned the encounter because there was nothing worth mentioning. I had once asked her if she loved him. She never answered. I knew now that she didn't. All traces of her long night were beginning to disappear. I could feel she was tired. I carried her out of her bath and dried her off. Then I carried her off to bed. "Do you have to leave now" She murmured. "Not right away" She was tired but there was one thing she wanted more than sleep.

An hour later I was leaving her home. Pam was in the kitchen with bloods. "I already called David. He will have a rental here tomorrow" I nodded. I was glad her abhorrent vehicle had met its end. It offended me as did the one before it. "We need to return to the bar" I said. She rose. We had both expended a great deal of energy flying. I would go trouble Bill for a lift. He heard our advance before we reached his door. The slashes in his body were still visible. The fairy must have used a silver blade. He was fortunate not to be stabbed. "We need a ride to Shreveport" I told him. He pointed to the slashes in his chest.

"Why can't you fly?" He sounded angry. That has been his usual demeanor for a long time now. The defeat he nearly suffered at the hands of a fairy made it more pronounced. "I just did my hair" Pam replied with a bored expression. I ignored her she enjoyed getting a rise out of him. "Pam will drive us there while you finish healing" I turned and went to wait in front of his car. My tone dared him to object. On our way we passed by the scene of the incident. It was now swarming with local law enforcement. The flames had been extinguished. We were flagged to the side of the road. The human that came over seemed to be surprised that Bill wasn't driving. He looked from Pam to Bill to me. I ignored him thoroughly. "Evening Bill"

"Evening Andy, what's going on?" I still hadn't told Compton the specifics of what happened. He figured this was a good way to go about finding out something that was not his concern. "Car accident it looks like. Darndest thing there are no bodies" He eyed Pam implicitly. She was checking her reflection in the mirror. Bill knew vampires were involved and so did this odious human. I recognized him as the detective "Do you have any friends in town?" He asked. His question was directed at Bill but it was open to the rest of us. Bill shook his head. Pam and I pretended not to have heard. The day I began answering to imbeciles like him would be the day I pull out my own fangs. He stepped away from the car and Pam began driving. "Just tell me that wasn't Sookie's car" Bill said. We didn't respond to him either. He growled under his breath. We drove the rest of the way in silence.

When we arrived at Fangtasia Victor was gone. He did leave instructions for me to call him upon my return. He wanted me to confirm whether or not his attempt was successful as well as to cover his back. I would make him wait. When he didn't hear back from his would be assassins he would call me. I took up my seat in the usual throne. I acted normally; playing in my phone; ignoring the vermin. Pam was on the dance floor she was dancing by herself as she sometimes did. I looked closer. Something was different about her. Just bodily contact with the fairy augmented her allure to all. Despite the fact that she had already refused two of them with a slap the fangbangers were having difficulty keeping their distance. She was would feed well tonight.

Just after last call Pam began walking over to me with the bar phone. We exchanged a smile. I took the phone into my office. "Victor" I said. "Eric is all well with the king's telepath?" I frowned. I did not like her being referred to that way. "Yes. She is easy to scare" there was the appropriate amount of annoyance in my voice at being bonded to a fainthearted human. Victor has tried to kill Sookie twice and has lost four people. Not just any four but some of his best, while Sookie was very much alive. It was amusing that she was proving to be as difficult to kill as he was. There was a smile on my face. The line went quiet "I will inform Nevada that all is well then" I arched an eyebrow. He must have really thought he would succeed if he informed Nevada. "As you wish"

While the bar closed I was contemplating what Victor would come up with next. With the losses he has suffered he would no longer use this tactic. He would remove his focus from Sookie and direct all his energy towards me. That was well. I have left him virtually no way to discredit me. Any attacks he made would have to be of the physical nature. In that field I was prepared and eager. The bar was empting by the time I returned. Pam had closed out the registers and Maxwell was overseeing other tasks. There were two attractive women waiting at the bar. I knew they were for Pam. They were our type. "Jag är villig att dela" She called out. I smiled and headed for the door. "Nej du är inte" Pam was a selfish lover in every sense. She offered because she knew I wasn't interested.


	4. Chapter 21 to Chapter 22

**The story is done. It isn't all below but I just wanted to get that out there. My goal is to have the whole thing up before the holidays (My house will be full of crazy people) i.e. my family.**

**Sookie**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Missing Mayhem**

I woke to loud banging at my front door. I cursed under my breath and shuffled to answer it. Before I reached I knew it was Andy and Dove. No doubt they had come to ask me about my car. I hadn't even had much time to get my story together. I opened the door. "Morning Sookie" Andy was attempting to be warmer towards me. Dove on the other hand wanted me sent away for the many things I had been involved in. He felt I was the guilty party in pretty much all those incidents "Morning" I showed them in.

"Please make yourselves at home" I just rolled out of bed my mind wasn't clear. I left them and went into my bathroom. I freshened up and got my act together. The only game plan I could come up with was to pick out what was already in their heads and go from there. I could clearly hear that Andy was convinced without a shadow of a doubt that vampires were involved. He thought I was scared and I wasn't going to tell them anything. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Andy was correct on all counts Dove thought they should threaten me with charges of leaving the scene of accident. He didn't really care what happened. According to him I was single handedly ruining Bon Temps crime statistics. This wasn't going to be easy.

I joined them. "Can I get you anything" They both politely declined. I sat. "Didn't see your car out front" Dove said. My eyes widened and I went to look out the window. I was doing a poor acting job but it would be enough. "My car was stolen" I said in disbelief still looking out the window like I couldn't believe my eyes. Having the advantage of knowing how my acting was perceived helped me not to overplay my hand. "When did you last see it?" Andy asked me. I turned to look at him "Last night when I parked it right there" He was taking notes for the show of it. He didn't believe a single thing I said but he didn't have a way to prove otherwise. "Did you find it?" There was hope in my voice. Dove nodded. He was hoping it would make me nervous that he found it. I smiled in relief.

"It was maybe twenty minutes from here along with two other cars" Andy said. He was giving me a piercing look. Dove thought it was some kind insurance fraud because mine was the only car that they were able to identify so far. He was scrutinizing my face for any sign that I was already aware of this. Andy continued. "There seemed to have been some kind of accident" In his head he used explosion. My face fell and I thought I did a good job looking distraught. "Was anyone hurt" I only asked because I knew they thought I wouldn't. Dove clenched his jaw. I wasn't giving anything away. "Doesn't look like it" Andy said. "There were no bodies" I was rightfully stunned. "There's nothing you can think of that would help us make sense of this" Dove said. His tone was accusatory. I shook my head. Andy shrugged and stood up. "You know where to find us if can think of anything" Or change your mind. He added mentally. I nodded and they both stood and left.

After they had gone I called my insurance guy. We have had other run in's he knew what ever happened to my car had a supernatural undertone. Lucky for me he was a witch, he also knew I was honest so he wasn't going to dig too deep. He told me he would be in touch with the police and when they had a report he would pay out my claim. That was good news. It did nothing for the fact that I still had to figure out a way to get around for the time being. I took my coffee out on the porch and tried to relax. My day was off to a stressful start. I tried to just enjoy the heat of the summer morning. I didn't have to work today. Lately I had been spending my free days with Dermot but I didn't know if he would come by after yesterday.

Having Eric explain his motives to me made me less angry. But we still had to talk. It was nice of him to think he had to defend my honor but it wasn't necessary. Bill and I had come a long way from that Emergency room in New Orleans. That night I would have jumped at the chance to have him killed. In hindsight that would have only served to feed my anger and deepen my pain. Bill had a place in my heart he always would it was why I could never bring myself to hate him no matter how much I wanted to. Though I no longer wanted him or loved him in that way I cared about his safety and his happiness. I also owed him my life a few times over. I didn't want anything to happen to him. If Dermot was going to keep coming around he had to understand that.

Just as I was getting ready to call him Dermot drove up. The car he was driving made my mouth hang open. He was driving a compact silver Cadillac sedan. He walked up the front steps and just looked at me. It looked like he was gauging my mood "I am not sorry for trying to kill him" His arms were folded across his chest and he sure didn't look sorry. That was just peachy. I glared at him. I wasn't angry at what happened anymore but if he even showed a hint of penance it would make talking to him easier. Before I could began ranting he continued "He lives by your mercy. You have my word that I will not make him finally dead" He seemed to gag on his words. I thought about how out of control he had been last night. I knew fairies kept their word no matter what. That was good enough for me because it was the best I was going to get out of him.

At least that was settled. "Nice car" I said to change the topic. He grinned. "I'm glad you like it. It's yours" He threw the key at me. It was a black keyless remote. I caught it reflexively. But my brain hadn't completely processed what he said. I was shocked that he could afford to just buy me a new car; I was shocked that he thought I would accept it. I got a hold of myself and threw the key back at him. "Thank you but I can't accept it" I said. He rolled his eyes like I was being unreasonable. Then he came and took the chair next to me. I couldn't take things that I didn't need. I needed a car but no one so grand. What kind of woman would it make me if I just walked around taking expensive things from men? Granted one was my husband and the other was my uncle "Claude said you would not be agreeable" He grumbled. I really wished they would stop talking about me behind my back.

"I will sell it to you" He said. I snorted. He cocked his head to the left. "Are you expecting anyone?" I shook my head. A few minutes later two cars pulled into my driveway. I didn't recognize either of them. Then David hopped out of one and another man came out of the other. Dermot was watching them intensely for a few seconds then he relaxed. "Good morning Mrs. Northman" I smiled. "Nice to see you again David, please call me Sookie" He nodded. "I was instructed to bring you a rental this morning" It was nice of Eric to think about that but I didn't want him paying for a rental indefinitely. "Thank you but I'm fine" He was confused. He was told I needed a car and he certainly didn't want to leave and have me go without one. He didn't want to argue with me but he didn't want to disobey Pam's orders. "I got it figured out" I told him with a smile. He looked at the other car in my driveway and nodded. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" I shook my head. "No David but that's for asking" He thought I was refusing because I was uncomfortable with him. This was the first errand he had been on for Eric that involved me. He made a mental note to be warmer. "Very well then have a good day" He turned and left. He wasn't even the least bit bothered that he had drove all the way out here for seemingly no good reason. He did as he was asked the end.

"You just told a lie" Dermot said. His tone said he wished he could tell a flat out lie the way I did. I shrugged. I've been telling a lot of lies today. "You really would be doing me a service by taking the car" I got up. I wasn't going to entertain him anymore. He followed and continued. "I bought it for you. The car I have is better suited for a fairy. Also I drove it so I cannot return it. Whatever am I to do?" He sounded truly distressed. I was trying to keep in mind that he was a fairy and he was great at acting. But all that he said did make stop and think. "I can't afford to buy it from you" my tone was wishful. I had to admit to myself that if I really could afford half what that car cost I would take him up on his offer. I needed a car. Being new I was sure this car would last a long time not to mention it was beautiful. I assuaged some of the disappointment by telling myself it would probably end up being mangled in some vampire attempt on my life.

"You do not even know what I'm asking" I was rummaging in the kitchen for something to eat. It didn't matter. There was no way I could afford it. "Give me what you would have spent on another car" I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted. But it seemed wrong. I felt like I was taking advantage of him "What is it with you fairies and the pushy gift giving" I had become a little annoyed that he wouldn't drop the subject. I remember Niall had asked me constantly if there was something he could give me. "It is a token of the deepest affection" He said in a soft tone. That caught me by surprise. Usually when people gave you something it was because they wanted something. I thought about it. I would give him the full amount of my claim and something extra. It wasn't nearly as much as the car was worth but it would make me feel better. After breakfast Dermot and I went to train. About half way through I hated him.

"Stronger" He chided. "You must come with more power" I was leaning with my hands on my knees and my sword in the dirt. He came over to me. "Your movements are too rigid" I was almost wheezing. I glared at him. He was looking for good sport. I guess my lack of ferocity and strength was boring him "I am not as strong as you are" He was forgetting I was more human than Fae. He shook his head "You fight like a coward" That was it. I have had it. I stood ready to give him a piece of my mind when he swung at me. I ducked and picked up my sword without thinking about it. Usually I was on the defensive. I had always silenced that that part of me that wanted to fight. Today I set it loose.

I noticed he wasn't doing his summersault and flips today. He was taking me seriously. That made two of us. He was barely managing to keep me out his personal space. I was moving faster because that hesitation I felt when I moved was no longer there. I was proud of myself for forcing Dermot to use more of his strength. He was stronger but I was lighter on my feet. Throughout all of this I noticed my shield remained in place. Dermot did a few cartwheels that put him out of reach. I followed after him. When he stopped my sword was pointed at his neck. He put his hands up "Truce" I withdrew my sword. He had actually broken a sweat and sounded out of breath. He was smiling at me I returned it. He had goaded me into realizing what I was capable of. I didn't like it. But I couldn't say I was angry about it.

Later that night we got dresses for Claude's new club. Well I got dressed. Dermot showered and poofed a designer suit on. I was jealous. Their beauty seemed so effort less while I had to spend a half hour on my hair. Overall I thought I looked nice. I had on a lilac colored dress that had black lace applique. It was one of the ones I got from Vegas I thought it did my figure justice. I thought about calling Eric and letting him know I was heading out just in case he thought about coming over. Then I decided against it. One I didn't know who was listening and two he would feel me moving away from here. Lastly I didn't want to feel like I was asking his permission. It would set a bad precedent.

Dermot offered to transport me in the fairy way. Driving to him was fun but a distasteful way to travel. I refused. There was no way I was ever going to do that again. In the end he decided to take the drive with me. He wasn't above complaining about it every time I went below sixty-five. I loved this car from the second I drove it. I was now the owner of a brand new Cadillac CTS. The car was the definition of luxury; black leather seats; wood grain interior; and a keyless engine start. My favorite part of the car was the state of the art console that included a navigation system and the sun roof. You could hardly hear the engine start up. I have never known a car could handle so great. I barely felt any bumps and the cabin was soundproof. I would get the best insurance possible. In the event it met the same end as either of previous cars I would get it replaced.

Claude's new club is called "Oasis". I have never been to Hooligans but I was willing to bet this place was different. The décor was that of an enchanted night club. There were dancers in cages. They weren't naked but very close to it. The atmosphere was almost electric. From the minute I entered I was getting looks from men and women. I just assumed it was because I was with Dermot and Claude. Of course they were basking in it I too was beginning to revel in the attention I was getting, I didn't understand it. I was unsettled. Dermot smiled at me. "It's a fairy thing" I wanted to laugh at his twist on a human idiom. "You mean I'm going to be an attention junkie" I was unhappy with that development. He laughed. Claude rolled his eyes at me as if to say you wish. "It's the atmosphere it is…" He couldn't think of a word. "Very sexually charged" Claude said with a wicked smile. I blushed. Dermot nodded. "Your streak of fairy has been heightened you will hold more appeal for all creatures especially the supernatural" Perfect just what I needed.

"In this kind of atmosphere with us you will be more prone to enjoy it" I understood the gist of what he was saying. So long as the allure I had was not as dangerous as the one they got from vampires I was okay. "Hanging out with this one" Claude inclined his head at Dermot in a very snobby way. "Will shorten your temper" I assumed he was insinuating Dermot was a pain. When I looked at him he didn't look at all insulted by this. He shrugged. "Emotional climate is where my gifts lie. I am naturally ill-tempered it is contagious with prolonged exposure. It is an inadvertent thing" I thought about it. That may explain some things. I had had a few rants lately. But I didn't want to shirk the blame for that on him. I made a mental note to watch my temper. I was sure I could control it regardless of any influences. So I shrugged it off. "We all have our quirks" They laughed.

It got harder not to get swept in the flow of the music as the night went on. Claude pulled me to dance. He said I would feel better. I did in a sense. The way I was moving commanded more attention. I was no longer worried that I shouldn't like it. I did try not to let myself get too carried away. Claude and Dermot were dancing around me. My shields dropped and almost every mind was thinking about one or more of us. I smiled. I knew I shouldn't be acting like this but I also knew I wouldn't be doing it again. The other few times I've been to clubs didn't go so well. I ended up getting staked or in some other kind of trouble. This experience shook away the feeling of plane Jane I got from being around them. It was different tonight. I was with family. We danced and laughed and we sky fairies owned the night. It was one of the most carefree nights out I had ever spent. I have had a few of those lately.

The first week or so after the were summit I was alert. I wasn't scared I was just expecting an ambush every night. To distract myself from this I began planning Tara's baby shower. This was something I told myself I would do for her anyways. I just started it sooner than I estimated. It worked before I knew it the day arrived. It was memorable because she was my oldest friend and this was her first. It was unforgettable because Pam was there. I orchestrated the whole thing and she helped. It took some coaxing but Tara allowed it. Pam was excited. Well as excited as she ever got over human things. For her this was just a chance to experience something pertaining to femininity that she has never experienced before. She was dressed up in a beautiful sundress and the present she brought was the biggest (She bought the crib). It wasn't because she cared about Tara far from it. She did research on the internet that told her gifts were customary. And being a vampire she couldn't resist showing off. Her research also netted her games to play at a baby shower. It was a little scary. We couldn't not play or go along with the items on her itinerary for a "perfect baby shower" The other women were scared stiff. Once they got over the fact that Pam wasn't going to kill anyone they relaxed a bit and enjoyed the party.

It was hard work for me to keep from laughing. Pam had never been to a baby shower and it showed. She asked me the most ridiculous questions. One of my favorite was, "When will the father have his shower for the baby" Andy's wife brought their new son. She shared stories of being in labor for a full day. She talked about late nights and breast feeding. Everyone else showed the right amount of sympathy and enthusiasm. Pam looked at all of us with the expression of someone witnessing a primitive tribe.

Pam was helping me take down the banner and the balloons from the front of the house when Dermot pulled into my driveway. "Here we go again" I muttered. "Hey Dermot" I waved from the porch and began walking over to him in an attempt to keep some distance between him and Pam. He hugged me. "Hello" he held my hand and we walked into the house where Pam had suddenly disappeared into or was that my imagination. "Hello Pamela" His greeting sounded a bit tentative. She turned, gave him a curt nod and went back to what she was doing. "You look presentable this evening" I really hoped he was intentionally insulting her. Otherwise that would have to be the worse compliment in history. Dermot should have kept quiet for all the reaction that got from her. He left her alone for the moment "You had a party?" He asked. I nodded. "A baby shower" he let go of my hand and began helping put away left overs. He was keeping an eye on Pam and keeping his distance as well. The tension between the two of them was palpable.

I wasn't sure what made me more uncomfortable their flirting or...whatever this was. I wasn't sure what happened but Dermot was getting the cold shoulder. I really wish that had found a different venue to do this. Pam had done all she was going to do or maybe she was leaving because of Dermot. "Sookie I will be going now" I nodded and walked her to the door. Dermot watched. The expression on his face was impossible to read. It was a cross between amusement, irritation and slight apprehension. "Thanks a lot for helping me Pam" She nodded. "It was very interesting" we smiled at each other then she kissed my forehead and left. Dermot sighed heavily. Then he went after her.

"Would you like an apology" he said to her back. There was a smile in his voice. Pam's back was ramrod straight and she didn't respond. He ran to block her path. "I am sorry" He said. "If you are attempting to test my restraint you succeed only in testing my patience" Her tone was leveled "I assure you fairy I am in no mood" I was conflicted. This exchange was going to take a violent turn. I wanted to intervene but there was no place for me in their lover's spat. "You were in the mood last night and the night before that and several others if I remember correctly" His tone was playful. My eyes widened. I was getting a lot more information than I needed at the moment. I was impressed that Pam was able to go to bed with him and not drain him. I underestimated her attachment and/or self control "And now I am bored" Ouch. Her tone sure sounded it. I could practically see the bland expression on her face. "After all you are not a full blooded fairy" I cringed that was just plain mean and uncalled for. Bill said something close to that and I bet he was sorry he had. "You are being hurtful" He said. Not sounding hurt at all. "Dermot" I called out in warning. He waved me away. "She will not harm me, will you Pammie?" If I wasn't scared I would have giggled at his pet name for Pam. He was still toying with her. His tone insinuated she couldn't. Pam made a disgusted noise from the back of her throat. "Get out of my way. I will only ask once" There was that lethal vampire coolness in her voice. From the way her words came out I could tell her fangs were extended. Dermot changed his stance and I knew her fangs were down. "Make me" He said. His tone was full of malice.

Pam did. She flashed halfway in the air to gain an advantage but Dermot grabbed her ankle and threw her to the ground. Their fight was moving much too fast for my eyes. It appeared to be more like a wrestling match. Not the death match Dermot had fought with Bill. It was hard to know who had the upper hand they were rolling around on the ground for a few minutes. The crudeness of supes was not something you ever got used to. When the fight finally slowed I saw Dermot was looming over her and her hands were pinned above her head. Her legs were wrapped around him holding him to her. They were joined at the lips. My face flushed and I ran back in the house. Those two deserved each other.

Over the next month there were only a few eventful things that happened and they were good. I was spending a lot more time with Eric. I finally got him to see gone with the wind. I had been horrified when I found out he had never seen it. He didn't enjoy. I was glad he saw it and I was able to get him to admit that it was lovely.

Sam and I spent another night at Crawdad Diner. We filled each other in on the things that we've been too busy to mention and elaborated on things that we only mentioned in passing. He was now using love to describe how he felt about Jennalynn. I almost choked on my shrimp Alfredo. But I was determined not to be as judgmental as he sometimes was. I was determined to be a good friend. I did find myself thinking that the Maenad was much better. I forced myself to be happy. Even if I couldn't see what he saw it was easy being happy that he was happy. I told him about Vegas. We discussed nuptials. His brother's was cancelled again. It was permanent this time the woman packed up and left town (she left their dog for fear that he was more than just a dog). We laughed ourselves silly about that. My wedding wasn't hadn't even gotten into the planning stages but now that I had some quiet I began to imagine what that day would be like.

I saw Hunter when I could. He would spend nights with me on days when I was off. Other times I would make a day trip. Dermot accompanied me once or twice. It wasn't all fun time when we were together. Remy was becoming more concerned about his child. So we spent more and more time on his shields. What I found was that he was very talented. He was a kid and his attention span was not very long. But when he focused he did great. Even with contact he was able to keep me out of his head and stay out of mine. That was something Barry and practiced in Rhodes. It wasn't easy. I now held out some hope that his childhood would be a lot more normal than mine.

My training with Dermot was moving along. My shields were now on command. They were lasting longer and I was getting stronger. We had moved on to cloaking. It was hard for me but it was doable. I was only able to do the bare minimum and it didn't include hiding myself. Summoning was a whole other matter. I had only managed to use it once or twice. The items were directly in front of me. I was so exhausted after I didn't think it was worth not taking the two steps to get what I wanted. Tia and I were becoming one. I trusted my body to know what to do. One of these days I was going to beat my uncle in a sparring match.

**Sookie**

**Twenty-Two**

**Stackhouse Residence: A Hostel For Traveling Vampires**

It didn't occur to me that I was waiting for something to happen. It was in the back of my mind. I was waiting for Victor to try again. You know what they say if at first you don't succeed. Time passed. One month turned into two. Nothing turned into more nothing. Eric and Pam bragged that he had lost four people trying to kill me and he had nothing to show for it. They had a good laugh about that. "Just think Sookie" Pam threw her arm around me. "At this rate all his people will be gone if he attempted just five more times" I was sure Pam was trying to make me feel better with that statement. I shuddered. They said he would most likely abandon that tactic. I wasn't reassured but as more time passed I was inclined to agree with them. I enjoyed the quiet and got some form of normalcy in my life.

I was beginning to think everything was really going to be different. After the third month the quiet began to scare me. I couldn't explain why. It was too quiet. Even on Eric's end. He didn't want to show it but I think it made him uneasy too. He said "Victor has fallen off the radar" It frustrated him more than anything. Lately he had barely stopped to antagonize him or assert his authority over the area. Contrarily Victor's lack of activity made him busier. The spies he had working in Victor's camp didn't have much to report. I was glad. Maybe someone had killed him for us. I knew that wasn't the case but it was wishful thinking.

Coming up on the fourth month of quiet I was becoming acquainted with it. I chided myself for being so pessimistic. This was the way things were before any of this supe madness started. I began to accept this as the pace of my life now. Outside of screening humans that came here from Vegas there wasn't much going on. I wanted to feel comforted by Victor's absence but I just couldn't, not fully. I began taking extra shifts anytime they were available; to prepare though I didn't know what for. Thankfully last night was the last double I had opted for. Today would be an easy afternoon shift. After which I would go home and get in bed nice and early. Maybe I would get a visit from Eric. I started making my way out of bed when I saw a note on my night stand.

My lover,

I came in late last night to inform you that there are things I must see to, said things will leave me unavailable for the next two nights. I would have woken you but I felt how tired you had been earlier. You work too hard. I will come to you on the third night.

I love you

~E

He didn't have to spell it out for me this was Victor related. I frowned at the letter as I rolled out of bed to get my cup of coffee. When I came into the kitchen I saw the red blinking light indicating I had a message. As I poured my coffee I listened. Sam was my best friend and he was the best boss ever but he was killing me right now. He needed me to work a double. Holly was not going to come in. That meant another really long day for me. I just sighed. Despite my plans for a nice early night I knew I would go in and help Sam out. What with all the times I've taken off on him. Plus he sounded pretty desperate. I took my coffee out to the porch. The sun was shining it was enough to make the chill of the morning tolerable. Fall was becoming very evident. Leaves were strewn across my yard. I haven't had the time to do a thing about it. After my dose of sunlight I felt better. I called Sam and let him know I would be coming in. Before I left the house I told myself that today is going to be a good day. I guess I haven't learned my lesson about thinking such silly things. I had no idea how wrong I was.

The drive home after more than sixteen hours on my feet took everything I had. We were short a cook and a waitress. The patrons in the bar today were exceptionally rude. Having to wait longer to have their orders taken and to get their food made them even more difficult. No one cared that I was juggling two sections while trying to keep all their thoughts out of my head. Towards the end of the night my mental shields began to slip. All the thoughts of my "rack" and my "nice ass" and the good old "Sookie is crazy" only served to make my night harder. My body was beat but I was even more exhausted mentally. When I pulled into my drive way I was more surprised than relieved that I had made it there. Because I can't say I remembered the drive. I shuffled inside and got ready for bed in a stupor. The last thing I remember was plopping face down on my bed right over the covers.

After what felt like only a second I heard loud knocking at my door. I just laid there willing whomever it was to go away. My eyes were partly open but I wasn't fully conscious. The knocking turned into banging. Now that alone should have alerted me that something was wrong. But right now I had less brain power than a zombie. The banging became more insistent and it got me out of bed. I shuffled to the door. The only thing moving slower than my feet was my mind. If I wasn't so tired I would have registered the mental void on the other side of the door before I yanked it open. Adrenaline coursed through my mind and body. I flinched instinctively from the unknown Vampire that was on my porch.

Let's face it the last unknown vampire to show up at my door was Victor Madden and he was bad news. However the vampire in front of me was the saddest creature I had ever seen. He was young maybe no older than twenty when he was turned. He was tall and he was looming over me from his place on the porch. He had curly chin length hair that was plastered to his face. The color was hard to tell because it was caked with dirt. He was soaking wet from head to toe. His face was stained with red tears. His eyes were dark and they were wild. I got the feeling he was more scared of me than I was of him. Regardless of the fact I was not going to approach him. A scared vampire was a Dangerous vampire. His appearance reminded me so much of Eric when I found him on that New Year's Day. Only he was really animated.

He was talking and gesturing profusely at the sky. I took a careful step forward. There was no way I was going outside but I was no longer partially hidden behind my door. His sentences were a mixture of some ancient language and English. He was looking at me as if I was supposed to understand what he was saying. He would speak in a rush and stop to await a response. Despite the lack of response he kept right on talking and pointing. I managed to pick out something about a ball of fire. I looked in the direction he was pointing. And sure enough the sun was rising. Even under cover of my porch he was already smoldering. The day time stupor was making his movements less erratic and his rant was slowing. He peeked around my head and tried to side step me to enter my house. It seemed to surprise him that he couldn't enter. He was looking around himself like he was lost. Seeing he was here that was unquestionably the case.

"P-please. H-help" he stammered. There were fresh tears falling down his face he was looking into my eyes. He looked so despondent. I know I could barely call myself a Christian anymore. Everything from my experience in the last two years was telling me to shut the door and just go back to bed. This could be a trick though I really didn't see how. Not helping him seemed so very wrong. What kind of vampire doesn't know he couldn't enter a mortal's home uninvited? Plus if I refused he would meet the sun. There wasn't enough time for him to dig a hole and rest for the day. If he proved to be a danger to me I would rescind his invitation and watch him burn. While I was mulling it over he was getting worse and worse. He was no longer moving and he was slumped against my door frame for support.

"You won't hurt me right?" He shook his head weakly and pointed into the house. I pulled on my shield although I believed him. Then I took a step back. "Please come in" He looked at me. Something was seriously wrong with this kid. My words meant nothing. He just stood there as if he was expecting me to open the unseen door that prevented his entry. I ushered him forward with my hand. He looked apprehensive but took a cautious unsteady step forward then took another that brought him over the threshold. His steps were very wobbly and he wasn't moving as quickly as the situation called for. I was worried he wouldn't make it far into the house. The sun was already letting light in. He weaved around in a shaky manner to avoid the rays of the sun. When he was at the foot of the stairs he turned and looked at me then he smiled showing his perfect teeth. I was sure when he was in better space his smile was dazzling right now it was unsettling.

As if this wasn't bizarre enough as if this encounter wasn't crazy enough, he walked right to the hall bedroom that housed the hidey hole. I heard him moving the camouflage items out of the way. He never even turned around as I went to stand in the doorway. He was mumbling to himself. When he got it open he slid right in and looked at me and gave me another big smile. "Thank you" then he laid back and shut the trap door. I just stood there for a few minutes. I was too shocked to move. I'm sure the look on my face must have been something. Eventually I burnt through all my adrenaline to the point where I was nodding off on my feet. Then strange vampire in my closet or not I went back to sleep.

Waking up for the second time today was more disorienting than the first. To make sure I didn't dream up the whole thing. I cast out my net and picked up the mental void that was in my house with me. Coffee would help me make sense of this. A few minutes later I was sitting at my kitchen table deep in thought. First thing I wanted to do was call Eric the vampire aspects of our lives were his thing. But he was unavailable even if I did call him I was sure I couldn't explain my exact predicament over the phone. Also calling him with this problem would distract him from whatever he was dealing with. Right now I wasn't sure there was a reason to worry. Obviously something was wrong with the vampire in my closet. He may have been newly turned that would explain his lack of knowledge of his nature. That thought made me uneasy because from experience newly turned Vampires were twice as Dangerous. Maybe he was disoriented because it was dawn or maybe he was cursed or both.

That wasn't the most disturbing part of this because I've encountered a cursed vampire before. The unsettling part was that he knew the inside of my house. It was possible that he followed Eric's scent into the hidey hole but that didn't make sense. If he was following Eric's scent it would have led him into my bedroom. He didn't seem to know me, and I certainly didn't know him. Nothing explained how he knew I had a hidey hole and where to find it. What to do now? A different train of thought occurred to me. Eric would have a fit if I told him there was another vampire in my house. Especially when I told him he showed up and knew the insides of my house. Eric would kill him and maybe me too. I remember how unhappy he had been when I let Claude move in. Shit. My house was becoming a very frequent stop on the supernatural express.

There was really nothing I could do about it now. All the vampires I knew were dead for the day. On the upside so was the one in my closet that I didn't know. I had to work the lunch shift but if I was lucky he may be gone by the time I came home. Before I left for work I checked my supply of blood to make sure he could get a drink for the road. Despite the fact that he was a much unexpected guest he was still a guest. On my drive to work I was thinking about just how much my life had changed over the past two years. Not just that but how much I had changed to survive it. People who have known me have commented on it. I've noticed it too but right now it seemed more evident. Because I felt like I was feeling the wrong thing. Two years ago I would have been terrified. Now I was cautious but not scared. The only reason I was wary was; one he knew the inside of my house; two I didn't want to get dragged into whatever Vampire shit he was involved in. And he was practically a blinking neon sign that screamed vampire shit. I already had myself a great big vampire problem in the form of Victor Madden.

Throughout my entire shift I was distracted. Twice I nearly dumped beer on a customer. Fortunately for me the people in this town thought I was crazy. So they didn't think much of it, crazy Sookie that was me. Sam gave me a questioning look I just gave him a look that said, 'you don't want to know'. When my shift was over I took my time driving home it was well after first dark as I entered my house. I just stood there in the door way for a few minutes listening for any signs of my guest. I knew he was still there because I felt the void that was his mind. For a second I considered leaving on some errand but this was my house.

He emerged from the hall bedroom the second I entered the kitchen. I caught sight of him and he looked nothing like the person he had been this morning. It could be my imagination but he appeared taller. I could now clearly see the daunting grey color of his big round eyes. The shape of his eyes gave him the look of a boy. His features were soft but still chiseled somehow. His lips were full and his nose belonged on a statue. Now that the dirt was gone I could see that his curly hair was a very light brown. It was pulled into a little pony tail high up on his head. Obviously he had showered. He changed into pair of very dark blue jeans and a blue V-neck sweater. They were definitely designer label. Through which his athletic physique was plainly visible. The contradiction was so jarring that it took a few minutes for my brain to tell my eyes to stop staring.

"Hello" he said with a small smile. He made no sudden movements and I guessed he was trying not to scare me. After a few seconds I got a hold of myself. "Hi" This was easily the most awkward exchange I have had in a long time. I didn't know what to say so I just fell back on my home training.

"Would you like a blood?" He nodded. "Yes please" Something was off about his sentence. He had said please to a human. In all the run in's I had with vampires I don't think they had ever said that to me. Everything was a command wrapped in an ultimatum that led to pain. I got one from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. I followed his cue and was careful to make my movements careful and deliberate. We didn't say anything to each other as his blood warmed. He was looking around my kitchen. I was stealing furtive glances at him. When the timer beeped I went and retrieved his blood. Carefully I shook out any hot spots. I walked half way to him and let him meet me the rest of the way. "Thank you" He said. I nodded in acknowledgement. He downed half the bottle in one quick gulp so I took that as a sign that he needed another. I threw another bottle to warm. When his bottle was empty I swapped it for the newly heated one.

"Thanks again" he said I gave him another nod. I was being ill-mannered. But he was beginning to make me uncomfortable with his politeness. You could see his mind was clearer now that he was no longer hungry. I sat down and he followed suit. He drank slower this time and turned his bottles in circles on the table. I thought it was a nervous reaction like my smiling.

"I know you must think I am quite mad" he said with a smile. "But I promise you I am not" That wasn't what I thought he would start out with. Outside of him explaining to me how he knew the insides of my home. I didn't care if we had any kind of dialog. He seemed okay now. I felt like I had done my job as a Good Samaritan. It was time for him to hit the road. The less he told me about anything else the happier and safer I would be. He was looking at me as if he were trying to gauge my reaction to what he said. His face seemed so open for a vampire he didn't have the whole smooth mask down packed yet. It made me answer him sincerely.

"I know what it's like to have people label you with that word I don't use it on others" He looked surprised by what I said and seemed to be thinking over what I could have meant by it. He sipped for a few more minutes then he spoke again. "In what state did you find me?" His tone was matter of fact. Was this normal for him? I wondered if he was used to depending on the kindness of strangers. If that was the case he wasn't going to live much longer. I wondered what was wrong with him.

Turning someone wasn't an exact science. There were something's that even vampire blood couldn't fix. When you tried anyways you got Vampires like Alexei and Bubba. But he didn't strike me as insane. Not even when he was so out of it earlier. He seemed to be all there intellectually too. My theory of him being a newly made vampire seemed less likely so did a curse. Well at least Eric's kind of curse. Unlike Eric he had some inclination of what happened. I think he just needed me to fill in the gaps. "You weren't hurt that I could tell. Your clothes were wet and dirty and you were really discombobulated (previous word of the day). This didn't seem to surprise him.

"You came here at dawn" That got his attention. The prospect of meeting the sun would do that to any vampire. He raised his eyebrow in question. So I told him everything that happened. I was careful to mention that he knew the insides of house even though we had obviously never met. When I was finished he looked thoughtful. "I apologize. I must have frightened you." I shrugged my shoulders because I have experienced some very scary things. And that didn't make the top ten it didn't even come close. "What you saw was me with my mind in the future and my body in the present" It was now official. Nothing was sane. All those myths and legends originated from some Supe source. "You can see the future?" I asked just to clarify. He nodded. "I saw this house and saw I would be safe here, although by the time I arrived I was no longer myself." He looked away there was a ghost of a frown on his handsome face.

Claudine told me to stay home from Rhodes because she 'felt' something was going to happen. Dermot once told me I would have visitors. For some reason I was more stunned by what he was telling me, maybe because he was a Vampire. Possibly I was in awe because his fortune telling was a lot specific than those of my Fae relations. Let me tell you here and now if Claudine told me I would have to escape a building while it exploded underneath me, Sophie Anne would have had to drag me to Rhodes kicking and screaming. He was still looking around my kitchen. He was probably comparing it to a picture he had in his head. Then he pushed away from the table and stood.

"Thank you very much for your kindness. I must be going now" I had a million questions. But my determination to not get dragged into whatever he was into hushed them all up. I stood and went to the door to see him out. He went into the hall bedroom and came out with a black camping backpack I didn't notice he had this morning. How did I miss that? When he met me at the door he extended his hand out to me. It had a wad of hundred dollar bills in it. I shook my head and took a step back.

"No that's not necessary" I waved his money away with a smile. I was also a little affronted. He just called my act kindness then he goes and throws money at me. It's true that I charged Vamps to help them out. This was different. Taking money from him seemed wrong. It went against everything I learned from Gran about hospitality and being a good person. "Please take it. It would ease my conscience" He extended his hand further out and there was a smile on his face. The smile lit his face and made him look even younger. If vampires had a conscience this was the first I was hearing about it. There was just something very un-vampiric about him. He looked me directly in the eye and for a second I wondered if he was attempting to glamour me. Then he eased his gaze before I could decide.

"It would undermine my upbringing" I said a little more firmly. It would have too. My Gran would roll over in her grave if she saw me take money from someone just for helping them when they were in dire straits. He seemed to accept that and pocketed his money. He opened the door and turned to face me.

"I do not even know the name of my savior" I thought it wise to skip introductions on the count of not wanting to know anything more that I had to. He smiled at me brightly. Smiling seemed to be the common expression of his face. Not Victor's kind of smile that held a threat of violence just below the surface. It seemed…warm somehow. It belonged there unlike the expressionless faces all vampires wore. I really couldn't help but return it.

"My name is Sookie." His eyes widened a little and he leaned his head to one side. My name wasn't common but that was an odd reaction.

"Sookie Stackhouse" He finished for me. The expression on his face was triumphant.

**No one kill me. I am sorry about the short update. They were the only chapters I was fully satisfied with. Please bear with me. Don't let the cliffhanger make you crazy. I have never done one before. This chapter provided me with an excellent opportunity (It won't be a recurring thing. I promise). S*T hits the fan fairly quickly from here on out so it won't be very feasible.**

**I am very interested in speculations pertaining to our mystery vampire. He is going to open the gate to a whole gang of my new very own characters.  
**


	5. Chapter 23 Chapter 25

**TADA! I'M BACK. **** FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS: A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEW. HAVE I MENTIONED HOW AWESOME YOU GUYS ARE? WELL YOU TOTALLY ARE. **

**LIKE I SUSPECTED I GOT SOME VERY INTERESTING SPECULATIONS' ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THIS NEW VAMPIRE AND HIS PURPOSE. **

**LET'S BEGIN SHEDDING A BIT OF LIGHT ON THAT SHALL WE…ENJOY**

**Sookie**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Trouble Just Finds Me**

I took a step back "Yes" I said cautiously. I had already pulled my shield on. "I thought you said you didn't know my name" He said something in another language. "You mean to tell me you are the Sookie Stackhouse" It was a confusing way to identify someone. How was I supposed to know how many Sookie Stackhouse's he knew? His description left me feeling more anxious by the second. "You are the telepath wife of Eric Northman Sheriff of Area 5" Being referred to as Eric's wife was no longer a sore topic for me. It still bothered me that a vampire from God knows where knew about it. My anxiety flared. Rescinding his invitation was on the tip of my tongue. He smiled and nodded. This stranger was two for two. "Who's asking?" my tone was guarded.

"It would appear I came to where I needed to be without knowing it" That answered none of the questions I had. Absently I wondered if all fortune tellers were this obscure. He stepped around me and went into the living room I shut the door and followed. There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that whatever he was here for was going to be very unpleasant for me. He waited for me to sit and then he followed. The serious expression he now wore confirmed my fears. Shit. Of course this wouldn't just be an open and close thing. Why would my good deed go unpunished?

"My name is Anthony Cohan Kováll. (The 'h' in Cohan is silent; Kováll is pronounced Cove-ALL) My mother was Sonia Arayya (pronounced Ah-Ray-YA) Kováll and it is because of her that I am here" Color me confused. "When you say mother do you mean maker?" I have never known a Vampire to use those two terms interchangeably. "She was everything to me" he said softly. Grief was in his eyes and his voice. It made me feel bad for not keeping my curiosity to myself. He stared ahead for a moment to collect his thoughts then he looked at me.

"I started having visions when I was seven years old. My human parents ignored it as long as they could. But as time passed they began to realize that something was wrong with me. They went to a shaman that told them I was possessed by an evil spirit" He shrugged "Whenever I entered a trance they were instructed to beat me, eventually they graduated to torture. They were of simple minds." I swallowed back bile. I have heard some very sick stuff but this was really close to home. That could have been me if I was born a few centuries ago. That could have been me in the present with worse luck and different kinds of parents. "I still suffer the effects of what they had done as you witnessed this morning." My eyes began to sting with tears. I swallowed hard to keep them unshed. With his super vampire sight I knew he could see them.

"I knew they were going to kill me. I kept seeing it. Despite the torment I did not want to die. I was waiting for something. I was waiting for her. Her face was the only thing that made it all bearable. I didn't know who or what she was but I knew she would take me from that life and breathe new life into me" There was a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "By the time I was eight they killed me. At least they thought they did. They threw my body in a bog" His voice was detached and his face was indifferent. He could have been telling me tomorrow's weather. I didn't want to hear anymore. I was starting to feel sick.

All vampires came from a sad story in some shape or another. Sophie-Anne, My cousin Hadley, Eric and Bill they were all sad stories. Never before had a shed tears for them. They had all accepted it and seemed to think nothing of it. Anthony's story resonated with me. "Then she came" when he said that his voice came to life. "She killed them when she saw what they had done to me. All of them; my parents; the shaman; all those who knew and did nothing they all met her blade" He smiled. Saying that it troubled me in the least would be a lie. If there was anything that required a death sentence it was torturing a child.

"Rayya became my mother; she loved and protected me. I have been at her side for a little over hundred years". That threw my theory of him being newly turned right out the window. Then he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He was shaking ever so slightly. I knew the bad part was coming. I fought the urge to go over to him. This was a side effect of hanging out with fairies I was having less and less respect for personal space. When you hung around with vampires such a thing was hazardous. When he finally looked up I saw his grey eyes were rimmed with red tears. That shook my resolve. I went over to him. I sat as close to him as I was comfortable with. It wasn't very close. He was seated in the middle of the sofa I moved to the end farthest from him. I thought my fairiness would make him feel better. He looked at me and seemed surprised by the gesture. I offered him a small smile to encourage him to continue. He nodded. I stiffened my spine for whatever he was about to say.

"A month ago I saw her death. I had visions of her dying in a multitude of ways for a week. They were indistinct but it was enough. In spite of her telling me not to worry I wanted us to leave at once. The night before we were to leave we were ambushed" He bowed his head in shame. "By the time I saw it, it was already too late" From the way he spoke it was very clear he had been beating himself up about this since the night it happened. "They were very many; all weres and just one vampire. It would have been impossible for both of to escape. She told me to run. I refused I knew what would happen but I wanted to fight with her regardless. She said they did not know me and that I need not die." A tear ran down his cheek and he brushed it away. To my utter surprise he didn't pop his finger in his mouth. He wiped his bloody tears on his jeans. "She begged me to travel south and seek out the telepath and the Viking. She made me swear it. She said they would find me a safe way home" This story was as sad as it was confusing.

"I tried to argue but she told me she was sorry and she loved me more than her own life" He was shaking his head as if he were still telling her no. "In the end she gave me an edict and I had to go. Her edict pulled me farther and farther away from our home. She wanted to give my scent a chance to scatter in the wind. I felt her fighting until" He was shaking but he was trying to finish. I inched close enough and patted his hand. "I knew the moment she died the pain was so much it left me screaming and on my knees. I thought I would die too. I wanted to die" His free hand was clenched into a fist. He was no longer crying or sad. The look on his face was murderous. Some vampires lucked out in terms of getting a half decent maker. When I killed Lorena Bill wasn't bothered in the least in neither was Judy. "Her edict no longer held and I returned to our home. It was ablaze and I knew she was inside it. That very scene and others like it had haunted me for a week. I swore that I would do as she asked I have been making my way here since" When he was finished speaking he took a few unnecessary breaths to calm himself.

"You don't know who did it" He shook his head. "I do not even know from whom I am running" I was thinking. The more selfish part of was unhappy that he had brought his troubles here because I already had plenty of my own. I knew he wasn't here for me I was just an adjective to ensure he got to the right person. Of course it would have been too perfect if he had showed up on Eric's door step. I would bet I was easier to find. Regardless of all that I felt a genuine urge to help him but I had no idea how. I didn't know all the aspects of Eric's vampire affairs. He probably knew Anthony's maker or had some dealings with her. He may have owed her a favor even. I hoped so because I knew Eric enough to know he wouldn't be doing any good deeds for nothing.

Anthony got up and headed into the hall bathroom I remained where I was thinking about what to do. This qualified as a reason to worry. This was also something Eric needed to know about as soon as possible. For all I knew he may be expecting Anthony. The only way to inform him about this would be face to face. We have tried but our mental walkie talkies were only good in close proximity. I called the bar. If I needed to I would make the drive the Fangtasia. "Thank you for calling Fangtasia the bar with the bite" I knew immediately it was Alana who answered. When Pam delivered those same lines it was playful; a flirty invite almost. When she said them it was a threat; a very viable one. "Good evening" I don't know why but her particular brand of hostility always made me more polite. I wasn't afraid of her it was involuntary. Maybe I hoped it would make dealing with her easier. It didn't. "It's Sookie is Eric around?" I could just feel her glower on the other end of the line. "No, my master is unavailable" I had figured as much. "Is Pam there" She was usually around when Eric wasn't. "No" Her tone said I had better not ask about anyone else "Okay thanks anyways" She hung up. Considering that she was supposed to be scared of me she was still pretty intimidating. Honestly how had she not killed anyone at the bar yet?

Anthony came to find me in sitting at the kitchen table. I was considering what I could do next. "I am sorry for causing you trouble" I looked up at him. He was smiling. Like I thought his smile was dazzling when he was in his right mind. I shrugged. If it wasn't him it would be someone else. "It is imperative I speak with your husband" Subconsciously I ran my thumb over my ring. Only Eric would put a ring on a girl's finger while she slept. He didn't want to give me a chance to argue which I would have too.

The design hinted at something older. It wasn't a closed band. The ends wrapped around my finger one on top of the other. I had a sneaking suspicion Pam helped him pick it out. It was simple and elegant at the same time. The band was filled with pieces of crushed sapphire and diamonds. Then there was a lone princess cut diamond in the center. It was a little bigger than I was comfortable with. Then again I would have been uncomfortable no matter what. It was confusing. Humans saw I was engaged. Supes saw me as bonded, pledged, and married.

"He is unavailable right now" The best I could hope for is him coming by like he had initially planned. This was terribly inconvenient it left me alone with Anthony for another night. May as well find out exactly what kind of trouble I'm in. In case I needed to leave work for a few days or ask for protection from the Shreveport pack. "Why did she send you here?" He sat down across from me. "I do not yet know" Okay so we were both depending on Eric to figure all this out. "Where exactly is this home that we are supposed to be helping you get safely to?" I don't understand why she would send him here and not directly there. He shrugged. He knew about as much as I did right now. More and more I was beginning to think Eric had all the answers to this whole thing. "Can you see what you are supposed to be doing or where you are supposed to be going?" He smiled. "It doesn't work that way" I became intrigued as to how it worked. He was thoughtful for a few moments trying to word his response to my unspoken question. The mechanics of something so multifaceted would probably be impossible to explain but he tried. "There are two theories" He said. "My mother believed everyone" he waved his hand in a circle "We all have a greater purpose. It is one way to explain why I cannot look ahead and see all I desire. I would be able to circumvent any and all aspects of the future I want. She thinks I see what I am supposed to only when I am supposed to. That way I can change all that has to be changed and nothing more" He was unhappy about this I could see why. Going off her theory some people are meant to die including her. Some people were meant to suffer like he had. This was something he would have changed if he saw it coming in time. I had to admit I didn't like that either. There were a few people whose deaths I would have prevented had I seen it coming. Who was I kidding? There was a whole bunch of people. Briefly I thought back on some the awful things that I have seen and that have happened to me. Someone saying all that was for a greater purpose was a very hard pill to swallow. The way I had always seen it stronger people in all species hurt weaker ones when they weren't busy killing each other off. It was all senseless hate that left behind a lot of death, and suffering. Where was the greater purpose in Rhodes? "She did not call me a fortune teller but an aid of destiny" He gave a rueful smile.

"I have a different theory" He said. I was eager to hear it "While it is true that I am not omniscient with every passing decade I attain better control. Now if I watch a particular person or place intently I can see what may come to pass" That was very interesting "Although the best I achieve with that are glimpses; obscure images awaiting countless decisions to solidify them" This was a lot to process but I was sure I understood what he was saying.

"You mean you can't see me doing something until I decide to." I wanted to make sure I was clear. He shook his head. "Not quite" I was confused and it showed on my face. "The future is a fickle thing. This is just a theory of course but I have narrowed it down to choice, destiny and chosen chance. Those three factors work simultaneously, irrevocably and inextricably" He looked at me to make sure he wasn't loosing me. I nodded. "There are something's that are meant to happen to and for everyone, and there are the choices we all make?" I gave him a short synopsis of what I thought I understood. He nodded and seemed impressed that I was keeping up. "What is chosen chance and how does it come into play?" He reached his pocket and pulled out a quarter and spun it on the table. It spun and spun. "This is chosen chance. I chose to do this the second I did I was leaving the end result to chance" When the coin began to slow he said, "Call it" I smiled this was so bizarre considering he may have already seen the winning side. "Heads" We watched it and it landed on tails. "Depending on what was on the line that coin would have decided your fate as well as mine. Chosen chance" He concluded. I was quite digesting what I just learned. It was a lot to take in. I was sure I wouldn't be able to make good sense of it until I was old and grey.

He continued "The only thing I absolutely cannot see past is a choice that causes a confusion in destiny. Everything becomes distorted. The persons future becomes completely lost until that choice becomes undone or aligns itself with your destiny somehow" He threw his head back against the chair and looked up at the ceiling with his eyes closed. It was a very human indication of frustration. I didn't think I was doing a bad job keeping up with his explanations I didn't understand why he was in a huff.

"That is where I am now. I am lost and blind" He sounded like he was whining. I smiled both at his tone and his choice of words. "I am here and though I have done as she has asked I cannot see past my own nose. The only visions I have had involved my immediate safety" He sounded sullen. It was a safe bet that when he had visions that involved his immediate safety he would end up really out of it like he had been this morning. "Has this ever happened to you before" He shook his head. "Never" A trace of anxiety crossed his face. There was no doubt he relied heavily on his fortune telling to keep him safe the way I relied on my telepathy.

"I am waiting for something I think" He said 'I think' with distinct distaste. I chuckled. "You enjoy being a know it all" I said. He nodded and his grin added the of course. "Do you not enjoy being a telepath" I had to stop and think. When I was kid I spent countless hours wishing it away. My life was a lot harder than it should have been. I long embraced it as a part of who I am. It made me stronger. I have made money off it but it also caused me a lot of trouble-honestly that didn't belong in the past tense-it causes me trouble. And it probably will till the day I die. At the end of that internal inventory I couldn't decide how I would feel if my telepathy disappeared. "Not all the time" He looked at me for a long moment I thought he would ask me to elaborate but he didn't.

I returned to thinking about what I was going to do. He would have to stay here. No matter how uncomfortable that made me. It was only the option at the moment. What I really wanted to do was send him to Fangtasia to wait for Eric. People were looking for him so it wasn't exactly safe for him to be roaming about town. This particular scenario sounded familiar. With Eric it was different. I had always liked him despite all the reasons why I shouldn't. It was why I stopped on the side of the road. It was why I brought him home with me. Anthony was completely alien. It was literally like taking a stranger in off the road. It was weird to say the least but I felt I had things in common with him outside of the fact that we were both freaks amongst our own kind. I felt like I could say he was a nice vampire if such a thing existed. And if nothing else he was the most polite vampire I had ever come across. It made me curious about him. Which I was sure was not a good thing.

I sighed. Oh the places I have been and the things that I have seen. "You are welcome to wait here for Eric" He smiled at me. "Having me here makes you uncomfortable" Of course he caught on to that. There was no point in trying to deny it. Suddenly I became fascinated with a dish rag to avoid his eyes. "Its fine" I got the feeling we were dealing with much bigger problems. My comfort in my own home could sit on the back burner for the next two days and one night. I wasn't counting the hours. I was just saying.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**A Dangerous Puzzle**

I went to bed early the night before. My body was still feeling the effects of those consecutive doubles. I slept in. I didn't have to work today. Dermot was aware of this. I took a preemptive measure and called him. I told him the truth though not all of it. I was exhausted and I wanted the day off entirely sans the training. Those were getting to be more and more of a work out. He sensed I was getting close to beating him and he was turning up the juice all the time. When I went into the kitchen there was a note on the refrigerator door.

_My most gracious host,_

_Forgive me. I have depleted the supply of blood you provided. If it is not a vast inconvenience I have provided the necessary funds to procure more._

_Anthony_

That was just another thing on the list I was going to have to do today. At least he was asking nicely. I left his money where it was. I got my coffee and prepared for my day. There were leaves that needed raking, errands that needed to be done and all manner of house work I had been neglecting. After I ate I got to it.

I began with my very disgraceful yard. I let the radio play and raked. After that I went inside and washed linens. I left a stack of fresh towels in the hall bedroom for my guest. When I felt I had all that had to be done at home I headed out. My first stop was the bank. Followed by the grocery store, where I ran into Tara. She wasn't alone of course. She was towing her set of twins; their names were Tara and J.B (it was their fathers idea) I ran over to her and gave her a hug. "How have you been" I pulled away to look at her. She already had her body back considering her children were less than three months old. "Good" She replied. "Real good" That was really good news. I knew she had been worried about being a mom. "Here let me" I moved my purse from the small front of my shopping cart and made room for one of the car seats. I wasn't sure but I thought I had J.B. They were dressed in the same shades of green and they were twins.

We shopped side by side and talked. "I'm thinking about having more kids" She said. My eyes widened. She laughed and nodded. "I was afraid of screwing them up" she said with a chuckle. I remembered that conversation. I disagreed wholeheartedly with her assessment. I had faith in her. "Looking at them I don't ever feel that way anymore. I can't explain it. I feel like I will never be as good with anything or anyone as I am with them-like I know it" She was almost gushing so much so her children's faces was all that were in her mind. In this instant I got a very clear picture of how much I was sacrificing. This would never be my life. Having children of my own was unsafe. Not only unsafe it was impossible to have them with the man I loved. This was an issue I had put to bed long ago but seeing first hand just how much joy it brought moved it to the fore front of my mind. I shook the feeling aside and looked at my oldest friend. I smiled in her happiness she deserved it.

She drew in a deep breath. "So how are you?" That question ripped me out her happy bubble and threw me into my newly acquired charge waiting for me at home. "I'm good" I tried to sound upbeat but it didn't do especially with my panicked smile creeping unto my face. She was quiet. "Well are you at least happy?" She knew things weren't always easy in my life. "With Eric I mean" That was an easy one. I nodded. "Yes" She smiled and was reassured by that. She wasn't a fan of vampires but she knew I loved Eric she also knew or relationship was complicated.

Our shopping trip continued and we just talked like two old friends. When I saw her to her car and helped her load her groceries into the car. "Thank you Sookie" She hugged me. "Anytime Tara" I watched her drive away then I went to my car. Last stop was the liquor store for some blood after that I headed home. I prepared a nice late lunch for myself and squeezed in a little R&R before dark.

I was sitting in the living room when he woke up. His hair was disheveled though I couldn't tell you why. It wasn't exactly like he tossed and turned in his sleep. It hung around his face giving off the effect of a halo the way Sam's did. Only it was longer and a bit thicker "Hi" I said with a smile. He returned it. "Hello" This wasn't as awkward as yesterday but it was still pretty weird. "He is not coming tonight" He said. "Is that a question?" I hoped he had seen Eric coming. He frowned slightly and nodded "Afraid so" He must still be having trouble with his other sight. "No, He'll most likely be here tomorrow" He nodded and seemed reassured by this.

He left and showered then I heard him in the kitchen heating a blood for himself. I felt I was being a bad hostess but he managed fine on his own last night. He came into the living room. "I would argue as to why you did not use the money I provided but I know it will serve no purpose" I shrugged my shoulders. He was right. He sat down on the floor across from me with his legs folded under him. "Am I keeping you from anything?" I shook my head. "So I have an evening with the famed telepath" He smiled brightly. Despite my annoyance with being referred to as the famed telepath I returned his smile. I couldn't help it. "No, you have an evening with a barmaid" He wasn't fazed by my remark. "I have heard many stories of you during my travels here" I was apprehensive. I didn't know what he heard or who he heard it from.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear" I was attempting to be evasive. "Precisely only you can separate truth from myth" He wasn't letting up. I wasn't averse to answering his questions I got the feeling he was just genuinely curious about me not curious in the usual appraising way vampires regarded me. He sensed my hesitation. "I will tell you anything about me you wish to know." Well at least he was attempting to be fair. In truth I did have a few questions about him that I would otherwise be uncomfortable broaching. "Ok what have you heard?" This was a safe way to go about it. That way I wouldn't volunteer things he didn't already know about. He beamed and leaned his elbows onto his knees. His enthusiasm was silly. If I didn't know better I would say I had myself a fan.

"You have fought in wars?" Figures he would be interested in the wars. I nodded. "How many?" I had to stop and think. Now that alone should have been an indicator of how crazy my life had been. "Four" he looked thoroughly impressed. Even after I made the distinction that I didn't do any fighting. And some of those so called wars were no more than skirmishes but I guess they still counted. "I have never been in so much as a scuffle" He sounded a bit dejected at the fact. It was my turn to be impressed. "That's great" I told him sincerely. He rolled his eyes. He didn't know it but I would trade those aspects of our lives in a second if I could. He was waiting for me to ask him a question. Despite him saying I could ask him anything I was struggling with how to phrase my question.

I was curious about his origin. I wanted to know how he retained so much of his humanity after being turned. "You don't seem very…" He chuckled. "I am what you would call tame" I smiled at his terminology. "We live differently from those of our kind. We always have. Blood and the mere thought of a good fight excite me. That is not all there is to vampires" He was leaving out sex other than that I thought he had described most vampires perfectly. "We strived my mother and I, to hold onto the first things vampires shed; their humanity. Doing so allows us to find worth in life all around us even though we are technically not living. We do not find value in savagery as the rest of our kind. It is no way to live" This was something I never thought would be possible. "Do those principles apply to humans?" I couldn't keep the disbelief out of my voice. He nodded. "All creatures" From my experience most vampires saw humans as food or property nothing more; Mcpeople. They didn't think anything about hurting or killing us for fun or food or when we could no longer serve a purpose. I looked at him wondering if this was a trick. What would he have to gain from lying about that? "You have never killed anyone" He shook his head. I hung my head in shame. What kind of person was I turning into when I had more blood on my hands than a vampire? Not to mention that if given the chance I would add one more; awful just plain awful.

"Did you truly rescue vampires in Rhodes?" The look on his face said he was expecting that part of my story to be an exaggeration. He wasn't the only one. I nodded "Not just vampires" I wasn't bragging. I just wanted him to know I didn't help vampire and leave humans to die. I told him about all about Rhodes. I found that I had never really spoken about that day. In fact I spent a great deal of effort forgetting about it. It was easier to talk about now. I guess enough time had passed.

When I spoke he looked enthralled. He asked about the smallest details. He asked me what I was thinking and feeling while I was "performing these heroic deeds" He didn't really seem all that interested in my telepathy. I guess when you could see the future a telepath just wasn't that interesting. Talking to him wasn't as awkward as it had been less than an hour ago. I found it refreshing that he had been through so much and seen so much but he wasn't tainted by it. He struck me as carefree even now. "Are you truly a witch" I laughed and shook my head. That story probably got started from Amelia living with me. Not only did supes gossip like everyone else they made stuff up too. We talked for a long time.

After which I became more certain that his maker knew Eric because they were around the same age. Although he himself had never met Eric and never heard his maker mention him. His lack of interest in vampire politics was greater than mine. We talked about my entrance into the supe world. I left out a few details here and there to protect secrets that weren't mine to tell. He concluded that my human adventures put his hundred years as a vampire to shame. I laughed at that. Despite the fact that he had never been in a fight he was trained to use a double bladed staff. From his assessment he was almost as good as his mother, which was pretty good I guess.

"Do you have her last name or does she have yours?" He blanched at the question. "We were never lovers" That was as much of a surprise as it was a relief. When it came to vampires pretty much anything goes in terms of sex and sexual orientation. From what I have learned so far it was standard for makers to have sex with their children. Sometimes it was willing other times it was forced. But it was standard. It was a relief because their blasé attitude towards sex didn't make the thought of someone having sex with the person they called mother any less twisted.

"My human parents dubbed me Anthony Francis Callahan. My mother gave me her blood and her Surname. She also changed my middle name to that of her father. It was an honor I embraced" He was full of firsts. That was something I have never heard of a vampire doing before either. Sure they changed their name through the ages but they didn't pass down names from maker to child especially not last names. "Did your mother give you the name of her human father?" He shook his head. "No, like me she got her middle and surname from her immortal parent"

"Do you know where he is?" It would be great if he could at least find someone to take care of him. Although his gentle nature was inspirational I knew he wouldn't survive on his own. I was sure that without his fortune telling he wouldn't have made it here. He shook his head again. "We did not speak of him much; it made her sad" He looked away at nothing in particular. "I had always known she kept things from me. I now wonder if she died because of her secrets" His voice was soft. "I think you lived because of them" He turned and looked at me "Perhaps". Shortly after that I went to bed. I had to work the afternoon shift tomorrow. Anthony used my computer and watched television. I offered to get him anything that he felt he needed. I was sure tomorrow would be the last day he would be staying with me. When I finally got into bed I didn't fall asleep right away. I laid there thinking about the vampire mother that died protecting her vampire child. The new aspect of vampire nature I just discovered occupied my mind too. I've been getting a lot of different perspectives lately. They should feel free to stop anytime now.

My afternoon shift today was much easier than the last. A little after the lunch rush a hand full of weres strolled into the bar. Their overall appearance was scruffy; visible tattoo and unkempt facial hair. Even if their mental signature didn't give them away they were dresses like it was summer to accommodate their slightly higher body temperature. I didn't know them and thankfully they didn't appear to know me either. But they took a seat in my section, coincidence I thought. This group had taken it upon themselves to push together two tables that were meant for two. A few of them were seated facing the wrong way. It was a sign to say, "Just in case you couldn't tell we do what we like" Sam was eyeing them from the bar and they were eyeing him. They weren't exactly staring each other down more like they were sizing each other up. My guess was that Sam didn't know them either.

This was going to be unpleasant I could just feel it. Unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of having other customers to dilly dally with. I tried not to let on that I was uneasy as I went to them. Like always I tried to be courteous and pleasant. But I was definitely keeping my distance. There was nothing worse than getting pawed at on the job, believe you me. "Good afternoon what can get for all" I wasn't reading their minds but I was sure everything they were thinking was clearly plastered on their faces. Right, supes were finding me more appealing these days. I was hating that truth at the moment. To ignore the collective eye fuck I was getting I stared at the door like it was the most interesting thing in existence. Finally they got their act together. "We'll start with a pitcher of beer sugar" In situations like this my panicked smile would have been plastered on my face but I was too annoyed with them to even fake it. "Coming right up" I said. I spun on my heel and walked slowly to the bar. This was done in hopes that the extra few seconds would give my irritation a chance to fade.

"I can't think of one thing I wouldn't give for just one night with her" I exhaled deeply. My back was turned I didn't know who said it but I hoped he didn't mean for me to hear. I didn't begin making my way back until I was over my irritation. This calm would be short lived because alcohol made lewd people worse. "Have ya'll decided on lunch yet?" None of them had even taken a look at the menu. While everyone else returned to staring at me the huge one from the bunch spoke. "Yes but can I ask you a few questions?" I knew what it was about almost immediately. My panic smile was in place as i tried to remain calm. I nodded. "Shoot" I said coolly.

He pulled a piece of folded paper from the breast pocket of his flannel shirt. He unfolded it and passed it to me. Once I had dropped their beer I had put myself out of their reach. So I had to take a few steps that brought me closer than I would have liked. I took the paper from him. If I hadn't had some inclination of what I was going to see I would have given myself away. I was looking at four sketches of Anthony. "He's a vamper" The burly man said. "He's wanted in connection with murders" My eyes widened. I wasn't even acting. The man caught my eye and nodded giving me a serious expression. "You aien't seen him around these parts have ya?" My eyes went back to the sketches to give the impression that I double checking. Really I was feeling torn. What if everything he had told me had been a lie? What if he was a psychopath? No. If any of this were true they wouldn't be the first ones I would be hearing it from. Something was off about this. I finally looked up. "No, I haven't seen anyone like that" He nodded he wasn't surprised. Anthony must be doing a good job hiding. Not that good because they had tracked him within a twenty mile radius. I handed the man back his picture. He waved it away. "Keep it and pass it along to all your friends, ya hear?" I nodded, and folded the picture into my apron. After they all ordered burgers-rear of course.

Before they left they stopped and had words with Sam I saw they left him a copy of the sketch as well. That wasn't right. Why weren't they hanging posters everywhere? It was possible that they didn't want to incite panic. That didn't fit in with their demeanor. They must want to flush him out without risking someone killing him. In these parts there was doubt that someone would. They wanted him alive for some reason. I was confused. On one hand Anthony and everything about him could be a great big farce. Then again I didn't think these guys were on the up and up.

When I was getting ready to leave Sam came over to the lockers. "Do you know anything about this?" I was affronted though unrightfully so. "Why do I have to know anything about it" I replied hotly. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry" Now I felt guilty because he was right and that was only real reason I had gotten indignant. "Me too" I said. "I just meant if there was a crazy vampire on the loose Eric would have told you." I shook my head. "Jenna told me about this. She said a vampire tried to hire members of their pack to hunt down this one" He fanned his copy of the sketch at me. "What vampire" I asked casually. I didn't want to let on that I cared. "They don't have names or faces to her" Damn. That could have provided a much needed clue. "Did they take the job?" I asked out of curiosity and I also needed to know if the pack would be something I needed to worry about. He smiled and tousled his hair. "Alcide was tempted. They were throwing around a lot of money. In the end he decided the whole thing was fishy" That made two of us. "How do you mean?" Sam turned to tape the picture next to the lockers where the waitresses could see.

"When a vampire goes off the deep end other vampires in the area come in and clean it up and take him out" Example: Alexei. "That hasn't changed much with the great reveal. In fact it's easier. They have the vampire police. They could turn to the media if they needed to" That was true. "So why then are they dragging weres into it?" That was a very good point. "Stinking coyote's no less" he said. Good thing his back was turned because the color had drained from my face. When Sam left I took down the picture.

The story about Anthony was a load of bull. The real person that was hunting him was a vampire. There was no doubt it was the same vampire that killed his mother. It may have been the same vampire that hired the coyotes while I was in Vegas. This particular vampire had a fondness for hiring were's to do his foot work. He may not have vampire underlings of his own. This was turning into a real mess. I didn't know what Eric and I had to do with all of it. That may not have been the right question. What had Eric and Anthony's maker been doing that would be causing all this trouble? All I had were questions and not a single answer. I drove home quickly and waited for dark. Eric was coming.

**Eric**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Unexplained Occurrences **

Something was off. I couldn't place it. I couldn't explain it. Victor seemed to have ceased most of his activities. His hold on the area sheriffs seemed to be loosening. I did not know what he was playing at. My first thought was that he was leading me into a false sense of security. I doubled my efforts. It was fruitless. My trust in Rasul was shaken he too had nothing to report. One thing was certain. Victor has not given up. Men like him did not surrender to defeat. If anything he was more ferocious. He wanted Louisiana. I was his biggest obstacle in the state. DeCastro knew this. I had very little doubt he was keeping me in his good graces so I could serve as a shield. He hoped I would be enough to occupy Victor's efforts for a long while. During which time he could mend the chinks in his armor so to speak. In this particular scenario it did not matter who won over Victor and I. When the king was ready he would do away with whomever he found the most threatening. As of now it would appear the king's plan would work. So far Victor's attempts to wound me through Sookie have failed. He has suffered causalities. He was no closer to discrediting me now than he had been half a year ago. Those were small victories for me. I was no closer to finding a way to kill him cleanly. That was why when he strolled casually into the bar I was surprised. He has been somewhat reclusive.

I led him into my office. The usual smile on his face was absent he was in a bind of some sort I must say I enjoyed his discomfort quite a bit. I took a seat behind my desk he took the sofa. The two other vampires he brought with him remained standing by the door. "There is a newly turned vampire that has to be found" He said. My face remained blank. A newly made vampire without its maker at hand was a problem. They were wild and had very little reasoning ability. Although it posed a serious threat to the human public it was not something sheriffs handled it was a problem for the vampire police. Automatically I knew there was something more to the story.

One of his guards placed a photo on my desk. I looked at it briefly. It was an enhanced image from a surveillance camera. It appeared that the vampire was intentionally keeping his head down. Even then there was another image that showed his face. A human would not be able to make a clear identification. A vampire was another story. "No such vampire has been seen in my area" I said. There have been no reports of attacks against humans here either. Victor was not surprised by this. He nodded. "His name is Anthony. He has stolen something of great value to your king. It is imperative that he be found" It was odd that he would be searching here. I was immediately trying to see a set up or a trap but I was coming up empty. If he was hoping to incriminate me he would have a difficult time proving such a callous lie. I did become intrigued by the idea that whatever he has stolen could benefit me if I found it.

"All other sheriffs are aware. If he is found I am to be contacted immediately" I nodded. There was no way he thought I was that stupid. The only reason I was being involved in this man hunt was because he didn't want to risk this vampire slipping through the net. I knew he hoped I would not be the one to find him. He left. I contacted sheriffs of the state and they too were informed of this vampire. When Victor was gone Pam came to me. "I have an errand for you" I said. She was curious and irritated at the same time. I passed along the photo graph. By the look on her face I knew she has never come across him before either. "Victor is looking for him" She arched an eyebrow in question. "I don't know but I want you to find out who he is if you can. Most importantly I want you to find out what it is he has stolen from Felipe" Pam was good at things that required a vast amount of stealth. I thought of how best to divvy up the search. "You search the East and I will take the West" She nodded and I left immediately.

I would wait until the bar closed then I would inform Sookie of departure before I went on my way. I began in Alexandria. There were barely any vampires to be seen. It meant they had all been dispatched in the hunt. It was strange. I thought Victor may have been preserving his forces while exhausting everyone else's. It would appear we were all searching fruitlessly. I was becoming even more intrigued as to who he was. The cover story Victor provided was appearing to be a complete lie though this wasn't surprising. For one thing a new vampire would not require all the forces in this state to be apprehended. This one person was managing to remain undetected even with all the state searching. That thought made me wary. He had to have an unknown advantage perhaps an accomplice. There was little doubt that he was extremely dangerous. If anyone had come across him they did not live to report it.

Looking in the typical places would be pointless. For now I would content myself with watching. Close to dawn a large amount of the forces began to return to the hotel that housed Victor's base of operations. Shortly after they were met by a pack of weres. This just proved that their search had netted them nothing. They had a better chance of finding and apprehending a vampire as he rested for the day. This was not good news for me. I had intended on resting in a nearby cemetery. I would have to dig a hole that was close to water. My scent wouldn't call out to anyone from there. That was going off the assumption they had a scent to track which I was sure they didn't.

The last two nights were almost a complete waste of time. I traveled through the entire western half of the state it was all the same. Victor was causing a bit of an uproar with this. I wasn't the only one who was now overly interested. It did not matter because nothing was found. When I rose on the third night I began making way for Sookie's home. Pam should be coming back from her side as well. I truly hoped she had more to say than I did. The closer I got to my lover's home the more anxious became. I was unsure of the cause. She wasn't in danger she was just uneasy.

I moved a little faster. The entrance I used when I came was either the upstairs window or the back door. She was waiting at the back door. She opened it for me although not fully. She stood in the opening she had made blocking my path. It took the smallest fraction of a second. My nostrils flared and my fangs came down fully. The scent of vampire pouring out of her home was staggering. In the same instant my mind was shrouded in a familiar reddish haze. I now realized why she had been anxious. "Someone is here to see you" she said in a calm tone, obviously attempting to ignore my very aggressive body language. "I do not know him" I hissed. Over her head I saw him then. The vampire who's picture Victor had shown me. The person every vampire in three states was searching for. I ran through the consequences of his presence in my wife's home. They all equaled death for us. I no longer cared what he had stolen or whether or not it could be of use to me. He had to die.

I glared at him. He looked blankly back at me. His body posture was alert but not defensive or aggressive. "What is he doing here" I spat at her. I couldn't believe she had been so foolish. I do not know what story he told her to gain him access but I knew she was smarter than this. Her instincts were good. At the moment they seemed to be off. She was standing in front with both her palms on my chest; blocking my path. "You know who he is?" I was confused momentarily. How could he be here to see me if she knew he did not know me? I was too angry to voice that at the moment.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" My voice was steely. "He has stolen from DeCastro. Every vampire in his states is in search of him" She thought briefly. "What did they say he stole?" She did not believe the accusation. Her question fanned the flames of my anger. "He cannot be here" I retorted. Whatever he stole did not matter. I looked at her trying to get her to see reason. She was sending calm feelings through the bond. It did very little. _"Eric, trust me. Killing him would be a mistake"_ She sent mentally. She was perfectly certain of this. Self-preservation warred with the trust I had in her. I relented. In the end the two were the same. I trusted her with my life. My glare was still fixed upon him. They also said he was newly turned. If that were true he would not be able to resist the urge to rise to my challenge. He looked entirely self-possessed.

I moved to the far end of the kitchen and folded my arms across my chest to show that I wasn't going to do anything rash for the moment. This had all better make sense in about two minutes. Or this vampire would be going to his final death. Sookie handed me a piece of paper from off the kitchen table. "At work today a group of were coyote came in" My eyes narrowed. That was not good news. That was much to close. "They weren't looking for me or even seemed to know me. They gave me one of these to both Sam and me. They said he was a murderer" This was making less sense. It was perplexing that his crimes were changing "Sam told me a vampire tried to hire some were's in Alcide's pack" I already knew as much. It was possibly a coincidence. These coyote's may have nothing to do with the ones from Vegas. After all, all manner of two natured were searching. "It doesn't make sense" she concluded she was right and it showed in her tone. It was reason to pause but I was still not entirely convinced on not killing him.

"Explain" I said. My glare now rested on Anthony "A month ago my maker went to her final death. Before she died she told me to seek out the Viking and the telepath" That was interesting but it explained very little. "What was her name?" I asked. "Sonia Arayya Kováll" They both looked at me expectantly. As if the name would provide me with all the explanation I needed. It didn't. It sounded very familiar. It reminded me of something from a very long time ago. I couldn't pinpoint what exactly. "You knew her" Anthony said. It sounded like a statement of fact. There was hope in his voice though he was attempting to mask it. "I did not" Both their faces fell and they were openly baffled by this. "I think I have heard of her" I was sure I did not know her well enough for her to send me her child upon her final death. There was no one I owed a favor of that scale.

"I know" Sookie squealed. We both turned to her. "Bill" she said. I caught on right away. Bill may know exactly who she was. Although I had searched through many Anthony's in his data base none fit the description of this one. Anthony looked at us in question but said nothing. Just then my phone vibrated, I thought it was Pam. I had been waiting for her to brief me. I heard Sookie briefly explain Bill's computer program to him. I called the unknown number from Sookie's home phone. It was safe. "Pamela" I said. "Eric, are you well" Tension had leaked into my voice. "What have you found" I cued a change in language

"It would appear that Victor is moving hell and high water to find this Anthony" I had found as much on my end. How was he managing to elude the power of a Felipe and the forces of Victor? There was a lot of noise in the back ground I assumed she had used a public phone. "Where are you?" I asked. "Close to the boundaries between our state and Mississippi, I was hard pressed to remain unseen" She spoke in a rush "Selected human law enforcement is searching as well. The airports as well as the bus and train stations are sealed tight. Vampires search by night. Were's search by day. From what I've heard he has even called upon the aid of witches" I was intrigued all over again as to what he has stolen. "I cannot be sure but the search seems to be concentrated here" That was very interesting. She has found a little more than I unfortunately nothing was concrete. All of this obscurity and uncertainty was putting me on edge.

"No one has ever heard of this boy who managed to steal from and evade the king for so long." This pleased her. It would please me too if he wasn't in the next room over. I was convinced of two things. First Victor had a plan; a big plan. It was probably why he had been quiet for so long. It has gone awry and this boy is a vital part of it. Second Felipe did not have full knowledge of this if any.

I was missing something, something crucial. "Well done" I filled her in on the little I knew. She was to go to the bar. It would appear offbeat if both of us were gone for too long. I went into the living room where Anthony and Sookie were. I needed answers. "You" He turned with a small smile on his lips. He seemed amused by my hostility. The instant he became of no use I would kill him and enjoy it. "From what state did you come?"

"New Hampshire" That knowledge did not shed any light on the mystery. In fact it confused me further. Felipe had nothing to fear from the likes of New Hampshire. He was stronger and more powerful than Raquel. If she picked a fight with him she would lose. I was also sure DeCastro wanted nothing to do with that kingdom. He had his hands full at the moment a fight no matter how small would spread him too thin. He could not risk such a thing with Victor threatening to overrule him.

Perhaps this wasn't a matter of territory acquisition. "What have you stolen from the king" He looked slighted by this question. "I have stolen nothing" it was hard to decipher whether or not he was being honest. It was a general rule to regard unknown vampires with distrust. But given the choice of believing him or Victor I would choose him. Since I knew who was hunting him it was a safe bet that Victor also did away with his maker. That was the most troubling part. Not only did Victor kill a vampire that seemingly had nothing to do with Louisiana he was expending a great deal of effort and his limited resource hunting her child.

"How exactly did manage to get here?" my eyes went to Sookie. He shrugged. Something about his demeanor struck me as odd. "I barely managed it" I waited for him to explain and ready to stake him if he didn't. Sookie answered. "He sees the future" My eyes were fixed on him in open appraisal. "Yes I know you want to kill me" He was unperturbed by this perhaps he was positive I wouldn't. I most certainly wouldn't now there was value in him. That must be why he was being hunted. It was unclear if he foresaw my question or just arrived at the obvious conclusion. He shook his head. "No one knows except my mother and now the two of you" I furrowed my brow at the term he supplemented for his maker. I would file that away for later. I focused on the matter at hand. He was certain no one knew of this, then why?

"Can you think of another reason why all of this state is searching for you?" There had to be something else. He shook his head and sadness cross his face. "I have thought of nothing else since that night" His voice grew a bit forlorn. "I was a college student and she worked at the University. We avoided other vampires. No one knew our real names" He seemed to be talking to himself. "We lived in peace" He said softly. Again nothing he said was of any use but I did see what was wrong with him. He was tame, very tame he would not be out of place in a room full of humans. It showed that he had been loved unconditionally and fiercely protected. Without his ability to see what was coming I was certain he would not have been able to avoid capture for so long. He lacked the killer instinct that was instilled in all vampires. "I need to go see Compton" I turned to the front door and left.

My pace to Bill's home was slow. My thoughts were in a snarl. I needed to decide what portion of the truth to tell. Bill heard my approach long before I reached his steps. He opened the door before I was able to knock. "Eric" He said with a small nod which I returned. I knew I could trust Bill with matters that pertained to Sookie's safety. It would be a more than fair assessment to say he hated me. In truth I didn't particularly care for him. Our love for the same woman kept the animosity contained. There was also the fact that we have fought on the same side very often in the past two years. "Is everything well" I decided to go with the truth. In this instance withholding the little I knew would work against me. "I am not sure" He stood aside and I entered. He was not alone. This was inconvenient. He was with Judith. She was standing at the far end of the room. It was a token to Bill's attachment to Sookie that he was unable to find pleasure in a human lover. He was spoilt for humans at least for the next fifty years or so.

"Sheriff" She gave me small bow. I nodded in acknowledgement. I looked to Bill to indicate I wanted privacy. Judith caught the exchange and began to leave when he stopped her. He gave me meaningful look. I was displeased by this but allowed it. They shared the same blood. I knew he trusted her. Most importantly he would know if she were up to anything. He was taking a risk. If she proved to be a threat I would do away with her and he knew it. Judith gave me an apologetic look. She had more respect for chain of command than he did. Honestly I cannot think of one vampire under my authority that has defied me as many times as Bill and lived to tell about it. I took the nearest chair. They followed suit.

"I need to find the origins of a vampire" I said. "That Anthony that Victor is searching for?" Although Bill was more mainstreamed than the rest of us it did not surprise me that he too was aware of the search. "He's not in the system I told Victor last month" That however got my attention. The rest of us only became aware of this a few days ago. Another piece of the puzzle Victor must be running out of time and getting desperate. Either that or keeping quiet was no longer possible or necessary. My face remained calm but he knew I knew something more. "I am aware" I told him. "I have the name of his maker" This induced a small of interest from him. He went to retrieve his computer. He opened it in his lap and it sang to life. "Sonia Arayya Kováll" I said.

Bill did a double take that would have been too swift for human eyes. His whole body went rigid. His expression went from surprise, to alarm. I waited for him to gain his composure. He was emotional but he was no coward. It troubled me that he nearly went to pieces over a name. "Judith you should leave now" She looked between the two of us and stood. I waved my hand for her to remain where she was. "Bill" I infused my voice with command. His antics were most unhelpful. "Eric" His voice was elevated slightly. He was typing at full speeds as he spoke. "For your sake and all those you love if you are looking for this boy I pray you stop" Judith was looking over his shoulder. She hissed and flinched involuntarily. Her expression was pure terror. If she were human the look on her face would indicate she was going to become sick. Now I was worried. He turned the computer screen to face me. If the expression on my face did not surpass that of Bill and Judith then it rivaled it. "Holy shit" I breathed. "Indeed" Bill said in a grim voice.

**(Grins mischievously)**

**AND THE PLOT THICKENS...**

**OKAY I LIKE DOING CLIFFIES THEY'RE FUN… I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND I'M STILL KIND OF EXCITED. DESPITE THAT I AM STILL GOING TO KEEP MY TIMELINE SO NO WORRIES. **


	6. Chapter 26 to Chapter 27

**OKAY. OKAY. I GET IT…NO ONE FINDS MY CLIFFIES FUN OR FUNNY. I HAVE BEEN THOROUGLY CHASTISED AND I HAVE LEARNED THE ERROR OF MY WAYS…AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS. {LOL} **

**A QUICK F.Y.I: I AM GOING TO TAKE SOME LIBERTIES WITH HISTORY. **

**WELL HERE IT IS… ENJOY!**

**Eric**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Premise Of Certain Death**

I remembered now why that name was familiar to me despite never having met this woman. I should have been able to make the connection sooner. What were the odds of such a thing? It now made sense that Anthony called her his mother; his mother who's smiling face I was staring at on the screen. The portrait was old. She was not alone in it. There were four other vampires with her. Their arms were around each other and they were all smiling blithely. The visible level of affection was nauseating and disturbing. Under the image was a caption in Slavic which read: (The children of Kováll. From left to right, senior prince Atéyo, senior princess Eráh, young princess Arayya, junior prince Demetrius, junior princess Negy) Right below that image was another of their maker; their father Cohan Kováll king of all France.

There were several open windows on the screen. It was full of more recent photographs I would date them to begin at the exposure of vampires. I looked through them. Some of them were taken at human charity events, others were at sporting events. There were many pictures of Cohan with the prime minister of France. There were a few of his children separately. They were celebrities in their country. They appeared on the cover of human magazines, award shows and Negy was a model. I searched and searched but Arayya was absent in all of them. I would guess Anthony was young. It was possible she left home for some reason and found him. She would have had to wait for him to mature at least fifty years or so. Then she would also have to wait for a safe time to make the journey back. Anthony probably had no idea whose blood he carried or the weight of his name.

"Victor killed her" I whispered. Bill's head snapped up. I knew he was hoping I wouldn't say exactly what I was about to "Arayya Kováll is finally dead" He suddenly looked paler. His mouth opened as though he was going to speak but nothing came out. "He wouldn't dare" Judith replied. She was attempting to sound firm but her voice shook. I did not respond. My silence was the only confirmation both her and Bill needed. Through the shock I felt at this catastrophic discovery. I was still confused. Judith was correct. Victor is a lot of things but stupid was not one of them. He must have known; all vampires knew. The children of Kováll were not to be harmed. It was as good as law. In truth they were universally avoided by our kind. That was if you ever lived to see one. Sighting their odd lifestyle choice was not reason enough. You avoided them for fear of something befalling them while you were anywhere around. A vampire had a better chance of surviving the sun than the wrath of Cohan Kováll. Then why would Victor do this? He knew the consequences. He has sentenced us all to death.

Before I could think further I felt Sookie's alarm. I flashed through the night to her home. Noting my hasty departure Bill followed closely behind me. We were through her front door in less than a second. There was no threat that we could tell. Anthony was sitting on the floor next to the sofa. Sookie was crouched in front of him asking if he was alright. "What happened?" I asked. I pulled her slightly away from the transfixed vampire. "I don't know I went to the kitchen and when I came back he was like this" She gestured towards him. His eyes were glazed and unfocused. His pupils appeared dilated. The expression on his face was empty, completely void. His head was moving as if he were following an unseen object. Other than that he was still and there was no inclination he knew where he was or if anyone was with him.

Bill did not come closer. He remained by the still open door. The look on his face said he was finally dead and was now in the seventh circle of hell. After a second of deliberation he walked further into the room and closed the door. Together we watched Anthony as he watched the future. After a few more seconds of this he began to thaw, his pupils retracted and he blinked. He shook his head as if he were trying to clear it. Then he smiled. He did not seem surprised to find us all there. "Ah…much better" There was a slight smile on his lips. "I know why my mother sent me here" he got up and headed into the hall bedroom. We waited.

Sookie came and sat on the arm of the chair I was in. She could feel I was anxious and tense. I could also tell she was conflicted about touching me. She was worried it would make me look weak in the presence of other vampires. I wrapped my arm around her waist. Both our bodies visibly relaxed. It did nothing for the chaos in my mind. I could hear Anthony in the hall bedroom. Instead of coming directly back as the situation called for he stopped in the kitchen to retrieve a freshly heated blood from the microwave. "Would anyone else like anything?" He called from the kitchen. No one dignified him with a response. Except Sookie of course "I'll have a glass of iced tea please" I knew I was facing monumental problems but the irritation I felt that he had made himself very comfortable in my wife's home was hard to stifle.

When he returned into the room there was a bag slung over one arm and the beverages were in his hands. "Hello" he greeted Bill as if they had already been introduced. Bill spared him a curt nod. He handed Sookie her drink. "Thank you" He smiled at her and she returned it. "You are most welcome"

I drowned my irritation and forced my face to give nothing away. He then placed his bag on the nearest chair and pulled out a pocket knife and began cutting away what was obviously faux backing. "A woman is coming to check on him" he gestured to Bill while he worked. We both knew he meant Judith. He was impressive. I had only ever come across one other psychic. Her ability was nowhere near as precise. She could provide vague insight. The bulk of her visions were fleeting glimpses. She could not decipher their meanings most of the time.

He fished a disk out of the opening he made and handed it to Bill. Who then looked at me to explain. I knew nothing of this. A few seconds later there was a knock at the door. Even with the warning Bill and I were frozen for a portion of a second. Anthony went and answered the door. "Good evening, you are here for your mate I presume" There was a smile in his voice. Clearly he enjoyed irritating people with his gift. Bill flashed to the door. Judith came in and he left. He was most likely going to retrieve his computer. Judith stood by the door her eyes were following Anthony as though he were the devil himself. Anthony returned to his bag and pulled out a several pieces of paper and brought them to me. I scanned them briefly and for the second time tonight I was stunned into silence. At least now the pieces were coming together.

I took the papers from him. The top ones were photographs that solidified Victor's treason. He was photographed with the Queen of New Hampshire-Raquel Umbridge. There were several candid pictures of them. They were all dated and time stamped. The dates correlated with Victor's lack of activity. The earliest was dated four months ago and the latest was a little over a month ago. There were two others that were in between. I sifted through the remaining pieces of papers. They were bank statements. I recognized the first account. It was set up by Sophie-Anne to help fund the rebuilding efforts of New Orleans. It was also used to manage the routine affairs of her state. This was left the same when Louisiana was taken over. Understandably there was a lot of activity; many vendors and quite a few deposits. Highlighted was a vendor with recurring charges. It began with the takeover. The amount paid remained steady over time. This was not particularly suspicious. It was very common to pay a monthly retainer for services you used quite often. Over the past four months the charges have doubled. Again this was not suspicious there could be a variety of explanations. The total to date this vendor had received was over a quarter million.

There were six other account statements none of which I recognized. There was a connection. I laid the papers across the tables and searched for the link. I stared at them intently for a few minutes. Then I saw it. Every time an amount is paid from Louisiana to that particular vendor it ended up in an account that boasted the insignia of Raquel. The money danced through all these shell accounts and the original amount changed by a negligible amount. The deposits were made separately but it was definitely coming from the same person. Victor was a devious indeed. Bill returned with his computer in hand and began working on the disk. The voices coming from his computer broke my concentration. He placed the computer on the table. The disk was a clear video recording with crisp audio.

Victor had been caught with his pants down as it were. This was a careless mistake. His failures had made him desperate. It was making him less effective. The video was dated exactly one month ago. He was with Raquel again. Only this time all that was said was recorded. "I'm not sending you anyone until you have paid in full" It was Raquel. She was standing face to face with Victor. "If you act sooner you will get your money faster" He retorted. "I will see" was her reply then she left. Victor turned and looked directly into the camera. He must have felt something or someone was there. The visual went black. That was it. The last piece of this maddening and terrifying puzzle fell into place.

"We lived in peace" Anthony had said. It was a sure bet that Arayya was watching the state in which she lived so she could leave before conflicts erupted or regime changes occurred. Victor being in her state of residence was absolutely reason to worry. She must have known DeCastro was powerful. If a fight of that scale began near her there was no doubt it would include them. She must have been compiling data in an attempt to root out the main antagonist. Most likely she would deliver the evidence to Felipe anonymously and he would take care of Victor prematurely. If the fighting happened here it would be smaller and far from her child. And with Victor gone Raquel would not be able to stand against Felipe. Nor would she want to. After all Victor was paying for her help. There was no loyalty between them.

Only if that plan had worked it would have solved both our problems. When she was found out she knew she could not send him directly to her maker. The distance was great and his journey would have been fraught with peril. Nor could she send him directly to Felipe. The fact that he was being robbed right under his nose showed he had traitors close to him. The only thing to do was to send him here. The evidence she provided would be enough to gain him access until I discovered his origins. Then his name would be enough to grant him sanctuary until her maker came. It was still unclear how she knew me, or that I was not loyal to Victor. All of this was meticulously planned. She had taken every precaution possible to ensure the safety of her child. Undoubtedly she had done her homework. I was the only one left from the old regime it was a sure thing that I wanted to see Victor fall if not Felipe himself. She may have also factored my love of a human to be in her favor. Considering Anthony barely fit the mold of a vampire.

"Who is this" Anthony asked. The question was a little peculiar coming from him because the photographs came from his possession and he was the psychic. He was pointing to Victor. "This is who is hunting you, he is Victor Madden" Anthony's eyes flashed with rage and for the first time he looked like a vampire. He left the room taking his bag with him. He went into the hall bedroom and a second later he was heading for the door. Sookie became anxious when she saw him. I noticed two metal handles protruding from either sides of his bag. It was some kind of weapon. She stood when he opened the door. "Anthony" He stopped with concerted effort. The door knob was being mangled in his hand. His age showed. I would wager he was younger than a century and a half "You'll be doing him a favor." Her voice was sharp. She was spelling out a rather obvious point. "He killed Rayya" His words came out in a growl. How little he knew. He had no idea what was coming. If it is vengeance he sought it was coming with an unstoppable force. "Anthony if you do this you'll die" Her voice held concern, it irked me. "I don't care" He retorted. He squared his shoulders and released the door. He was resolved to die.

I stood. "She went to her final death in your defense throwing your life away so rashly is an insult to her sacrifice" All our lives were tied to his safety. I was trying to reason with him but I was not above using force to keep him here. In fact I would relish it. "Listen to him. Don't give Victor what he wants" Sookie urged there was an edge to her voice. "She wouldn't want you to do this and you know it" He stopped and his shoulders bowed slightly in grief. She walked to him. "I know" She was speaking to his back her tone was softer. "Believe me I know but this isn't the answer." He turned to look at her. The expression on his face was pained. She walked closer to him and patted his arm to comfort him. He walked back inside and she closed the door.

As I watched them the reason for her caring for him was now obvious. He was barely a vampire in the detached sense. She was barely human in the typical sense. They were similar in more ways than their unique abilities. They shared pain that shaped the quality of people they were. Her caring for him still bothered me. They both reclaimed their original seats. "What is your full name?" Bill asked though I was sure he already knew. "Anthony Cohan Kováll" All the vampires in the room flinched at the name. "He has no idea" Bill said. We were both staring at him intently. "You have found my home?" Anthony said it wasn't a question. I nodded.

"Yes it is with Cohan Kováll. King of France" I said. It was no surprise that the name did not mean as much to them as it did to everyone else. They waited for me to explain. "Cohan is a God amongst the immortal" I could not make my voice completely inflectionless as I spoke his name. "He is the oldest living vampire-well over ten thousand years old" I heard Sookie's indrawn breath. "Cohan is known to be very…" I struggled with my words wanting very much not be offensive. I gestured towards Anthony. "Like you." He smiled seeming proud. I fought to keep the grimace off my face. "He is renowned for his very amiable nature" Sookie was feeling relief. It would be very short lived.

"His sovereignty is without equal, his supremacy is without rival" Anthony was very close to looking smug. "He is responsible for some of the bloodiest days in both human and vampire history" Humans were fortunate to have a short memory in regards to this. The scars that Cohan left in the consciousness of vampires will never fade. Anthony seemed surprised by this. "If that is true then he cannot be my father. It is not our way" He sounded insulted. I nodded without fully turning to look at him. "His only known triggers for violence are his children" Understanding lit his face and returned to looking proud.

"All vampires know this it is ingrained in them by their makers to help ensure their survival and quite possibly that of the species because in this matter Cohan is ruthless" I wanted to add that he was a madman but I thought it best to refrain from that sort of remark with his progeny in the room. "There are many stories about him and his children. There are two that we all know to be true. Almost twenty-five hundred years ago Alexander the great was well on his way to world domination when he came across a child of Kováll in Babylon. He thought the child would make a fine soldier but the child refused him. He was imprisoned until he changed his mind. Cohan came for him. Because his child was unharmed he simply dismantled Alexander's empire as punishment" I shuddered at the kind of power such a deed would require. The version of events in human books differed greatly. They had a habit of rewriting history. It was curse of theirs.

My voice was detached as I continued to retell the stories Ocella told me. I have forgotten many things through the centuries this was not one of them. This was the one that struck fear into the hearts of all vampires. I turned to Sookie "Are you at all familiar with the massacre of the Latins in Constantinople?" She looked aghast. "That was him?" I gave her a small nod. "The year 900 B.C the world of vampire and humans witnessed the full extent of Cohan's fury. His youngest child" I looked to Anthony. "Your maker I believe" He nodded "She was human then. She was assaulted while in the city. All that was known of her assailants was that they were Latin soldiers. When night fell Cohan came and flew into a rage." I was looking at nothing in particular trying to control my voice. Bill and Judith too; we were statues in the room. "The number of human lives lost was well over a hundred thousand. He decimated an entire army in less than half the night"

Sookie gasped and horror was plain in her eyes. She was now beginning to see the gravity of the situation. Anthony's face was expressionless but he was listening intently. "That was not the worst of it." I said "He was making such a spectacle. Vampires in the country tried to intervene" I shook my head. They did not step in to defend the humans. Word was going to spread. He was threatening to expose us all. There wasn't much choice. They had to do something "What happened" She asked in a hushed voice. Perhaps she thought vampires stood a better chance against him. She was wrong. "They shared the same fate as the humans"

In those times it was blasphemy for one vampire to kill another over humans. Even now it is still frowned upon. But in that one instance he killed dozens. This is why the rest of our world gave him and his children a wide berth. "How" I shrugged. "Like I said there are many stories about his abilities and those of his children; One is rumored to exert control over the elements, there are stories of day walkers and demi gods" Of those things I was not sure. Over the ages facts mixed with rumors that originated from fear. It was impossible to know what was real.

"This last occurrence my maker witnessed" That was how he got the scars he wore for the rest of his existence "It happened in what is now Syria. A child of his entered a dispute with another vampire over a human" I looked at Sookie as I spoke there was a ghost of a smile on my lips. It was amazing how much trouble a single human could cause amongst vampires. "You have to understand in those times a human that belonged to a vampire was not allowed much freedom. It is said that princess Eráh loved her more than what was acceptable and denied her nothing. This is how the dispute came about because she was allowed to live freely amongst her kind. A passing vampire came and claim her. Eráh's claim was not honored and so there was a fight between the two. She was badly wounded and the human was killed in the struggle" I shook my head at the thought. "Her father came and saw his child beaten and broken hearted. He exterminated all the vampires in that country for the infraction. Even till this day vampires do not go there" Bill nodded.

"When I was compiling the research for my computer program I came across a vampire that narrowly avoided being slaughtered by Cohan" His voice sounded aged just at having to speak of this. I could not find it in myself to blame him "I feared he was mad. He refuses to speak the name Kováll. He lives in a cemetery in Peru and refuses to leave. He only told me about this so I would not put him in my program for fear of Cohan finding him" Sookie was close to falling apart. "Demetrius the youngest of Cohan's sons was exposed in Spain. He told me Demetrius laughed as he was about to burned at the stake. He identified himself but humans" Bill shook his head scornfully. He remembered Sookie was in the room and spared a nod to exclude her from that generalization. I do not even think she registered his insult or the apology. "He has been hiding ever since. He told me he saw unspeakable things. I was never able to persuade him to give me the particulars. All he would say was no one died a clean death that night" Bill drew in an unnecessary breath. "I searched and found similar stories none of which can collaborated of course: Cyprus; Angola; and Egypt all the stories start the same and end the same way. His child is harmed or threatened and he raises hell." The only sound in the room was the irregular beating of Sookie's heart.

**Eric**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Checkmate**

"I have seen their faces but I didn't know who they were" Anthony said softly. He was looking at open windows on Bill's computer. His longing for them was evident. "They are coming" he continued. That much was obvious. "When and who are they coming for?" Depending on the answer I might be inclined to sit and wait. Contemplating my own advantage I saw it; Victor's big plan. He knew. He must have known what he had unleashed. He has had time to prepare. When his first plan was comprised he seized the opportunity of a life time. It now made sense why Victor would go as far as killing a child of Kováll. He would have received a death sentence in either case. I was sure DeCastro was the target. If I had a killing force the magnitude of the Kováll's I would not waste it on an opponent I outranked and had a chance of outmaneuvering. I would direct it at an adversary that was beyond me. Victor was not insane. He had no plans on dying with the rest of us. That was why he wasn't searching in Nevada. He could not risk being that close. He was waiting for the perfect time then he would retreat to a safe place and sit while Cohan wreaks his havoc. When all of Felipe's vampires were all but wiped out he would rise as the new king of all three states or what was left of it. That was why he needed Anthony dead. Only he could topple all his plans.

Anthony did not answer my question. He glanced furtively at Sookie. I assumed the answer would frighten her. He was not as stealthy as he thought. "He doesn't think Eric did this" She asked. He resigned himself. "I saw them the night my mother died" He rubbed his temples. "They want to kill all the vampires in this country. Believe me you cannot imagine the things I saw in the brief glimpse." I had no doubt he saw horrors. Sookie drew in a sharp breath. "Okay but you can tell him right. I mean he would know you are his blood. He would believe you" There was panic in her voice. He was attempting to make his voice placating as he spoke. He was trying to provide her an ounce of hope in this hopeless situation "I could go to him if I could see where he was" He was quite again with his eyes seeming far away. Then he frowned. "There is no way for me to safely leave this state" Pam had already suggested as much. Victor must know he is here somewhere "and if he reaches here before he sees me it will quickly be too late"

"What is taking him so long?" Bill asked. I shared that curiosity. Surely he had the resources to have long avenged the loss. Anthony shook his head sadly "I have not been able to see them clearly since that night. He does not seem to be in his right mind, none of them are" He reached for the computer and stared at the pictures intently as if it would provide him an answer. "Nothing they are doing makes sense" He was quiet for a long second. "They are confused about something I think, lost almost" I did not understand what that meant. "What do we do then?" Sookie asked looking at me. For the first time in a very long time I had no plan. When I looked into her eyes I wanted so badly to tell her she would be fine that I would find her a way through this. That would be a lie. "We should leave" Bill suggested. Anthony shook his head. I agreed I didn't see how running would solve any of our problems. "Eric you cannot be considering staying?" His eyed rested on Sookie "Pam has scouted there is no way to leave undetected. Also if we run we go from having two problems to three. Victor will know we know he will stop at nothing to silence us. DeCastro will not allow me to leave with his telepath, and do you really believe we can run from Cohan?" The undeniable reason in my statement made our predicament that much more oppressing. "So call DeCastro" I shook my head and passed him the bank statements. "He has been stealing from this state. There is absolutely no way he was doing it alone. Someone very close to Felipe's is helping him" A phone call to warn the king was much too risky. "We can't just sit idly and wait for death from all sides" He countered. Victor has set a very tight net over this state. I cannot turn to Felipe. And Cohan was coming. We were in the middle of it all like sitting ducks.

"We have to wait" Anthony declared. I was careening towards that same unpleasant decision. It was the only choice there was. "There are many things that have to be decided none of which are in the hands of any present" That went along with my sitting ducks analogy. I would keep Anthony safe and hidden. He was the only person that could shield us from Cohan. "You are to remain here" I said to Anthony. I was not happy about this in the least but these circumstances were dire. A vampire was safest in the home of a mortal. He smiled and nodded. I ignored him. "Bill you will stay close" He nodded. "I volunteer my services" Judith said. I nodded. She wanted to watch over Bill. Otherwise I was sure she would have departed long ago. I left Bill with instructions to duplicate the disks then Sookie and I left.

The drive to Shreveport was quiet for the most part. We both had a lot on our minds. "What about the chain of command you explained to me?" She said abruptly. "What about the council?" I saw where her thoughts were going and I could laugh at the idea of Cohan submitting himself before the council. "He predates it" I said. She shrugged. "So do a lot of you" That was true. "He holds vampire custom and tradition in no esteem. He is his own law he always has been." She was quiet. "So you guys all know there is an all-powerful vampire out there and you are okay with that?" Her tone implied we were asking for it. I smiled. "Being as old as he was who would contest it? Outside of his children he poses no threat. We leave him to his madness and he leaves us in peace" She exhaled deeply. "Do you want to hear something crazy?" I chuckled I doubted my night could get any crazier. "I get it. I mean I can see why he does what he does" She was feeling guilt and shame for empathizing with him. I shrugged. "That's not so crazy. We will all kill to protect what you love. He does it on a very grand scale. They are his only weakness he has to" That did not fully appease her. She did not speak the rest of the way.

"You should stop worrying it is out of our control at the moment" We had been at my house for some time and she had done nothing but stare off into distance feeling anxious. "Seriously not helping sweetheart" she said dryly. I went to kneel in front of her and held her face in my hands. "You really shouldn't worry" I whispered. Then I kissed her before she could respond. She was pulling at my shirt and I was already removing her jeans. I sat and pulled her on top of me and wrapped my arms around her. She set the pace and I controlled the motion. Her hand was knotted in my hair and she gave a little tug. It made my whole body shiver and a moan escaped my lips. She leaned her neck closer inviting me to bite. It was impossible to resist. Our bodies had been tense. This was a much needed release. We were at each other for an hour then she fell asleep.

I was lying in bed with her when I heard her phone. I ignored it. It rang again. It was late the only thing I could think of was that there was some kind of emergency. Shit. It was Sookie's home number. I answered it. "There is a blonde vampire in bar with fangs. She is in grave danger. You must save her" it had to be Pam. I wanted to ask details to know what I would be up against. But his prediction came seconds before the reality. Pam was alarmed. I hung up. Sookie having felt what I felt woke. "What is it?" She asked. "Pam" I replied. I was already dressed. "Stay here" She was worried but nodded. I was out of my house and in the air before the door shut behind me.

The bar had been closed for over an hour now but Pam was still there. Pain rippled through my chest. "Pam" I whispered. She had been badly wounded. I descended in the employee parking lot. There was a dead Coyote and a human. Even with all that blood the scent of hers permeated the night. She was not out here. I reached for the door. Her blood was dripping from the handle but the door was locked. I didn't have my keys "Pam it's me" I called out. She was alive but barely. I heard movement from the other side. The lock clicked. When I opened the door she fell into my arms.

"Took you long enough" She said. She was covered in her own blood and it was pooled on the floor where she had been lying. I carried her to my office and gave her my blood. I removed her shirt and surveyed the damage. There was a deep claw mark across her right side. It left her with a broken arm and three broken ribs. One of which was protruding from her side. The worst of her injuries was her throat. A coyote had managed to get its jaw around her neck and her throat was partially torn. All her wounds appeared as though they just happened. "The human was a witch she must have done something to prevent my healing" She sounded more annoyed than anything else. This is was bad. She was going to bleed out. I ran to the storage room to get towels and bloods. Then I called Dr. Ludwig. She did not answer I left a message.

"She won't get here in time" Pam said simply. I pushed the towel into her neck and said nothing. I began empting the bottles of blood into her mouth. Ten minutes and five bottles later her wounds did not improve and the bleeding hadn't stopped. I had only succeeded in temporarily staving off her final death. "This is a waste of money" She complained. I did not know any witches that were readily available. There was nothing I could do to save her. The bleakness of the circumstance was setting in. "The fairy, are you in his good graces" I asked. That was the only magical creature I could think of. There was also a chance that he would want to save her. She frowned. "No. but I have been seeing him" I wondered if she was delirious. She managed to sound embarrassed about it. Given her well documented position against non-casual relationships it was embarrassing.

Her bag was left outside. I brought it in and retrieved her phone. She refused it. "He will really believe I'm dying if you call" This was absurd but I complied. I called the number and waited. He answered right before the voicemail. "What?" He sounded angry. Pam was definitely out of favor with him. "This is Eric. I am in need of your services. I will pay whatever you require" He was quiet for a second. "What is the matter?" He sounded less angry and minutely interested. He knew this had nothing to do with Sookie. I explained to him briefly about the injuries Pam suffered. "I'm not in the business of saving vampires. She probably deserved it in any case" He hung up. I looked at Pam she was not surprised by this. I did not know what she had done but I did not think it required a death sentence.

I dialed the number again and brought her the phone. She would have to humble herself if she wanted to live. He answered sooner this time. "I need you. I miss you. I'm sorry" He was quiet. She was attempting to make her words sound detached but there was feeling in them. "Please don't be angry with me anymore." Her words had become labored. "Where are you?" He asked. He did not sound worried just interested. "The bar" She replied. He hung up. I pulled the phone away not really believing what I just heard. Pam was avoiding my eyes. A few seconds later I heard him making his way through the back door.

"You should consider picking fights with people your own size" He was standing in the doorway of my office. She scowled. Pam was not one to take a loss. He went over to her. The smile left his face when he pulled the towel away and saw the gaping tear in her neck. "You reek of magic who cursed you?" He sounded angry. "The human was a witch. It's why she's not healing" I answered. "Did she touch you at all" He asked. Pam nodded. He left the room. She watched him go with mixed emotions.

He returned into the room a few minutes later with a glass. It was full of a pink bubbling substance. The concoction had the dead witch's blood and his by the smell of it. "I can't believe my woman lost a fight to a low level witch and some Coyotes" He shook his head disparagingly. "Don't call me that" Pam retorted as coolly as she could manage. It wasn't much. "It was five on one. I only lost because of the witch" He smiled. Then he knelt on the floor by her and began dabbing the mixture at her wounds. He began at her neck. The hole began to close after a minute then he moved to her less serious injuries. "Did you mean it?" He asked. She shrugged. "It worked didn't it" there was a smile in her voice. He laughed. "I would have come anyway" She nodded. "I know". I watched them together. His free hand was brushing her hair back. Her eyes were closed and she was leaning into his touch. If they hadn't forgotten I was there they were doing an excellent job pretending. Pam was attempting to downplay it but she cared deeply for him. If she survived this I would be laughing at her for the next century.

My phone rang it was Doctor Ludwig. "Northman do you still require my services?" The worst of Pam's injuries were gone. "No Doctor. Thank you" She hung up she probably presumed the person I called for was long gone. "I need you to correct the position of her bones" He said. I went over to assist him. He held her hand as I forced her bones back in place. She gritted her teeth but didn't flinch. He continued applying the mixture. "I'm not sure it's worth not being finally dead now that you have this to gloat over me" He laughed. "I do not gloat. I state facts" She rolled her eyes. When her wounds were all healed she drank what was left of the mixture. I could see she was fine. He stood and turned to me. "There is something that causes a disturbance in the wind" It was a warning and a question. I simply nodded. He walked out. Pam sat up.

"They came into the bar in search of that Anthony. Dumb mutts like he would be hanging around a vampire bar" She sounded sour probably at the loss she took. "It was causing trouble so I asked them to leave. They were waiting for me when the bar closed" This whole man hunt was turning the state upside down "You think that was the only reason you were targeted?" She nodded. "I didn't ask them to leave politely" I knew what that meant. She probably used their heads to open the door when she threw them out. "We have a problem" I told her. She reclined into the sofa and opened the last bottle of blood. "What is else is new?" I told her all that I had found out. "Knulla" My sentiments exactly "What are we doing?" She asked. "Waiting" She was thoughtful. "Why are we not taking a page out of Victor's book? Leave the child to his fate and we hide" Pam was pragmatic. When everyone was gone beside my forces and Victor's we could settle our score. That could work but it came with a few consequences I did not want to face. He was proving to be beyond valuable. I was sure without his warning Pam would not be here. I shook my head. "We have a chance to gain Cohan's favor it will be worth so much more" She nodded.

"For the time being we need to maintain normalcy and keep his child safe above all else" She stood. There were still the bodies outside that needed to be disposed of. "Go home I will clean up" All her physical injuries had been healed but she was still weakened. Before she left I voiced my point of curiosity. "What exactly did you do to make him angry with you?" There was a grin on my face. She smiled. "I refused his blood" She said. That was impressive. I was sure she only did this to irritate him. She got a spare Fangtasia T-shirt out of my desk drawer and pulled it on. We walked outside and the fairy was waiting by her car.

I wasn't near any cemeteries. The best thing to do was distort the injuries to deflect the fact that they were killed by a vampire. If the bodies hadn't cooled it would have made this whole thing worth my trouble. After I worked on the bodies I moved them far from here. Then I returned to the bar and cleaned up all the blood. The traces would be visible to a vampire with particularly acute senses. I left the human staff instructions to clean the soiled areas again.

When I returned home Sookie was waiting anxiously. She became alarmed when she saw blood all over me. "It's fine. It's not mine" She relaxed. "Who did you kill?" I turned to her with a hurt expression on my face. "That's a bit presumptuous don't you think. I'm offended" The look on her face was so disbelieving I laughed and began pulling off my soiled clothes. She got a trash bag for me to dispose of them. While I showered I told her what happened. She felt genuinely saddened that Pam had been wounded. She loved her. We went back to bed this had been a hard night.

**THERE WAS A LOT HAPPENING IN THOSE TWO CHAPTERS. I HOPE I DIDN'T LOOSE ANYONE WITH MY WEB OF SCHEMES AND LIES. IF SO VOICE YOUR QUESTIONS AND I WILL CLARIFY. SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THE KOVALLS?**


	7. Chapter 28 to Chapter 30

**I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A PHENOMENAL THANKSGIVING. I HAVE BEEN IN A FOOD COMA FOR LIKE A DAY AND A HALF. **

**KUDOS TO 88SPIKE YOU TOTALLY HIT IT ON THE NOSE. **

**THESE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS WERE A TAD DIFFICULT TO WRITE THEY MAY BE HARDER TO READ… **

**Sookie**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**The Waiting Game**

For the first time in a long time I had a nightmare. It wasn't the night terrors I used to have after the Fae war but it was still scary. In my dream Anthony died and Cohan killed everyone. The sleep I had gotten was sketchy. I woke up with my nerves feeling frayed. I hadn't gotten nearly as much rest as I needed taking into account my prior evening. With all the things I found out, then hearing about poor Pam getting mauled and nearly dying-finally.

If you had told me two years ago Pam and I would become good friends I would have laughed. Don't ask me why but I cared about her. She was a good person to ask for advice mostly because she was an avid reader of dear Abby. Some of her solutions to problems were not really ethical or legal. They usually called for brutality. It was still nice to have. It was even more than that. I enjoyed her company. She was fun and funny in a scary kind of way. Over time I have come to find that she is not as cold and unfeeling as she would like people to believe. Lately I've been wondering if that was true for most vampires.

The time wasn't clear but I knew it was early. I also knew I wasn't going back to sleep but I wasn't ready to get out of bed. I let my mind wonder to any and everything aside from my troubles of the present. The vibrating of my phone yanked me from my mental jumble. It danced and buzzed about the night stand. I didn't recognize the number. Fearing an emergency I answered it even though I really didn't want to speak to anyone right now. "Hello"

"I need you to pick me up" My uncle sounded a bit wary. "Sure, where?"

"McKenna park, it is fifteen minutes from Pamela's home" He sounded terrible. "Are you alright?" It was a silly question considering he was calling for a ride instead of teleporting himself. "Yes, just hurry" I hung up and got dressed as fast as I could then I ran out the door. Luckily Pam didn't live far from Eric. There was a bit of traffic heading farther into Shreveport because it was early on a week day. It took some finagling but I found my uncle sitting on a park bench. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Beautiful people like him didn't sleep on park benches. But that's exactly what he was doing. He saw me and began walking over his steps were tentative. Usually he moved like a well-oiled machine. Today he was moving like an old man on a cold day. My first thought was he had a close call with Pam last night. I got out and opened the door for him. He half fell into the seat and closed his eyes. The set of his lips indicated he was in pain but I couldn't see any physical evidence of it. I was worried but he was breathing and it wasn't like I could bring him to a hospital. I drove back to my house.

I contemplated just letting him sleep it off but he opened his eyes when I was pulling into my driveway. He was able to safely open the door from the inside because the handle was wood grained not iron. I went over to him and supported as much of his weight as I able. Boy he sure was heavy. He obviously needed rest but the hall bedroom was occupied and we weren't going to make it upstairs so I helped him into my bedroom. The sheets were clean. As I was pulled his shoes off and I noticed a splatter of blood on his designer loafers. "Can I get you anything?" He was pale. There was a greenish undertone to his skin. The usual fairiness he exuded was completely diminished. "Something warm that's sweet" His eyes were already closing. I had no idea how he was going to drink it. But I went into the kitchen and made some hot chocolate. I made it the way my gran used to. In a pot with just chocolate bars and milk and I added lots of sugar. I served it to him with a straw. I brought the rocking chair in my room to the side of the bed and held the cup while he drank. Bringing him the whole pot would have been a good idea because I had to make several trips to the kitchen. He downed the first three cups in the blink of an eye. With every cup he was looking better and better.

Soon he was well enough to talk even so he still wasn't his usual self. "Pamela didn't do this" I tried to look relieved instead of skeptical. He smiled. "I killed a sorceress very early this morning" That explained the blood on his shoe. I wondered if this had anything to do with what happened to Pam last night seeing she had a run in with a witch "Pamela's attack; the abundance of were; the stillness in the winds of this state" He exhaled. "Something is coming and it is very bad" He sounded faintly worried. Even if I didn't know exactly what was going on I would have still been nervous. This was a fairy that seemed to enjoy a good fight the way vampires did. "This bitch was party to it." There was acid in his voice. If I had to guess I would say it was because said bitch landed a few good hits herself.

Now would be a good time to tell him what was going on but I bit my tongue. The only thing worse than knowing someone was coming to kill you is waiting patiently for them to do it because there was just nothing else you could about it. It's an unpleasant feeling to say the least. If it were humans that were after you could call the police and get a restraining order. Or hell you could have your older brother beat them up. Lord knows Jason would do it. Nope I had vampire problems. I couldn't tell anyone, not even him. He wasn't invincible he would get killed trying to help. All I could do now was pretend death wasn't coming.

Even if I couldn't risk having him directly involved whatever he knew might be able to help. "How do you know?" He shrugged. "I felt it she was very powerful" A portion of his usual self showed. "She started it she wanted to sell my blood to vampires" He sounded smug. "I didn't know witches could cause a fairy trouble" He frowned. "Witches are copy cats" I kid you not he said copy cats and he sounded like a five year old doing it. He had gotten an edge to his voice for me insinuating a witch had done this to him. Excuse the hell outta me. I get beat up by all kinds of creatures. I didn't know to get all self-righteous over witches doing it. Thinking back to the interactions Claudine and Amelia had it was pretty obvious there was a problem between the two groups. Just once I want to find a supernatural creature that didn't have an inherent problem with another. The only thing they agreed on was that humans were at the bottom of their totem poles. "They have found a way to use spells and incantations to imitate what comes naturally to us" He was definitely feeling better. His nose was in the air. "Sorceresses although human are born with their power" He rolled over to look at me. "If you come across one you must not attempt to fight, at present the best you can hope to do is hide" I didn't doubt what he said. Whoever he came across did a number on him. I knew I stood no chance. Hearing the word hide made something click in my head.

"Can a strong sorceress keep a group of people from finding someone they are looking for? From a distance, I mean without their knowledge?" My question came out with too much fervor for my interest to sound trivial. He gave me a piercing look and I knew I wasn't the only one who was being enlightened. He looked through my wall as if he could see into the hall bedroom where Anthony was resting for the day. "I don't suppose you'll tell me why you have another vampire in your home?" The heightened senses of supes were intrusive and irritating. At the moment it was inconvenient. I couldn't lie to him nor did I want to. So I didn't say anything and hoped he would answer my question anyway.

He said something about a navel. At least that's what it sounded like to my ears. "Beg your pardon" He smiled. "Sia-avell" He sounded it out slowly not that it helped me decipher its meanings. "It means trouble is my shadow" He chuckled and shook his head. If nothing else my constant predicaments were good for a laugh to someone. There was so many reason why this wasn't my fault it was hard to know where to begin. "To answer your question, yes I think it may account for the air around here."

"Is it better now?" My voice was hopeful. I didn't even try to mask it I had already lost my hold on keeping it light. He smiled. It was almost as beautiful as it normally was. He definitely knew something was up I was leaving him free to draw his own conclusions. "Not quite. I would give it three days or so. If I was to guess I would say a Cardinal paradox has been placed over this state. It requires four very power sorceresses. The details vary but it is used to distort and hide. "So if I was outside this paradox I can't find someone that's inside and vice versa" That was it. It had to be. He nodded. "This is very old magic. If you are taken and placed under hold of a spell like that I cannot find you when you call and neither can your vampire" I nodded. That wasn't what I was afraid of. This was why Anthony couldn't see the Kováll's. It was why they hadn't showed up on my door step already. This was why Victor was pouring all his power into this state. He knew Anthony was here and he was doing a great job trapping him. It would only be a matter of time now before he had searched every nook and cranny of Louisiana. "You know what is being hidden?" He said. "I have an idea"

"Tell me perhaps I can help" I shook my head. "Just tell me how to get rid of this spell" He looked like he wanted to argue instead he sighed and answered me. "Only the casters can undo it otherwise you have to find and kill them" My face fell. I didn't want anyone to die but this couldn't go on or we would all die. "Due to the size of this state the hold requires four. I have killed one. Another person cannot just be inserted in place of the one I killed. The spell has to be redone. This leaves a window for someone to be reached from the outside. A little over three days give or take a few hours" My head came down and rested it on the edge of my bed. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Dermot patted my head. I was just so relieved. This would all be over in as little as three days. "Come lie with me" He scooted over. "I would offer to kill them all for you but I am not fully capable" He sounded ashamed. I patted his hand. "You helped out a lot" We were lying on our backs with our hands held. This didn't fell strange to me in the least. "I heard what you did for Pam last night. Thank you" I was thanking him because I wasn't sure why he did it. He may care about her outside their torrid physical relationship in which case I wasn't obligated. But he could have done it for me, to spare me the pain it would cause Eric and by way of the bond me. He shrugged. "My nights would be a bore had she died" It was true of course, but the way he said it I knew he cared about her.

I felt better; hopeful. Now I had a timeline. I wouldn't be waiting for Anthony to see something or be harboring him indefinitely. Acting normal would be a bit easier. I stayed with my uncle until he fell asleep then I went to call Claude. Dermot couldn't be here when Anthony woke. I didn't want him home alone with no one to give him a hand, especially if he couldn't use magic. With Claude's ability to see into the body and being a full fairy he was best for the job. He was also the only one for it. The call wasn't made with much hope. Claude was usually busy being all about Claude. "Hello" That was Claude alright. It had to be a talent of his to convey boredom and pepper it with superciliousness all in one word. He had the nerve to sound good doing it "Can you come over I need to talk to you" Maybe all of this was making me paranoid but I thought I understood why vampires tracked you across town to deliver a message. Eric said my phones were safe. Whoever was spying on him figured he didn't fill me on his day to day vampire affair. They were right but I wasn't chancing it. "Fine" He must have known it was important otherwise I wouldn't have asked. But his tone said he wasn't happy about it, not even a little bit.

I sat at my kitchen table and waited, and waited, and waited. It took me almost a half hour to realize he was driving over. He shouldn't have had to explain it to me. I had just become extremely used to Dermot popping in and out of here. Instead of sitting about I got decent. When Dermot called I had just woken up. A shower cleared my head a little bit enough to let me know I should open some windows to let out the scent of fairy. This morning I had myself a little Debbie cinnamon roll to go with my cup of coffee. I had never deserved anything so much in my whole life.

While I ate my mind kept drifting to Cohan Kováll. I sat in front of my computer and looked through all their pictures. There were a lot of them. I started with pictures of his kids. His sons were handsome as you would find most vampires were. They were tall and their appearance contrasted emphasizing the lack of heredity. The older of the two had hazel eyes and had hair the color of corn silk but it was wild. Even in pictures when he was dressed in a Tux that I was sure cost more than my new car it was disheveled. The best he would do was push it back with a head band. The younger one had hair that most women spend countless time and money to get close to but never quite managed. It was platinum blonde and came to his shoulders. I don't believe he had ever had a bad hair day in his whole life. His eyes were so light at first glance he appeared blind. The youngest daughter was a super model that was her job. Not a bad career choice because she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen fairies included. She was so good-looking it would make your stomach hurt just to be in the same room as her. The other daughter had short red hair and green eyes. She was cute. If you asked me to assign Cohan a race I wouldn't know where to begin. He was tall at least compared to a lot of the people he was photographed with. His hair was jet black and bone straight. He had a very defined widows peak. His eyes were grey and round. His skin was tan or at least had been. I wondered if that's what all people looked like back then; like a little bit of every race.

Looking at all their pictures side by side I saw why Anthony's maker saved him. Anthony was a little bit of all of them. His hair was the same color as Negy and naturally messy like Atéyo. His smile was almost identical to her oldest sister and I would bet money he acted like Demetrius. But mostly I thought she couldn't see past his eyes. They were the same color and shape of her maker. I was looking at the list of things that they had accomplished for their country. They gave millions to charities and volunteered. They were photographed at award shows and charity galas; school openings and balls. There were even pictures of the oldest daughter at an elementary school giving a history lesson. On paper they were a family of very good people. Were they good people? I thought about the amount of death that surrounded their past (and possibly my immediate future) and asked myself if I still believed them to be good people. I did.

The only thing I didn't understand was why Arayya left. It couldn't get better than an almighty; unconditionally loving maker. She was the youngest to boot that had to come with extra privileges. Pam once told me that all children eventually left their makers. That wasn't the case here nor was it the case with Sophie-Anne and her children. Nothing about any of them made sense. I didn't take Eric's opinion and chalk it up as madness. I felt there more to them than that.

In all the time I have spent around vampire they never touched each other without purpose. They didn't shake hands they sure as hell didn't hug hello. The fact that this group was openly affectionate made them easy targets. I had worried about Anthony for that same reason. Cohan did what he had to, to make sure no one ever got that idea. They lived how they wanted and did so in peace. Having such heinous acts make sense in my mind made me ashamed of myself. Lately I had been spending a great deal of effort thinking like vampires. It helped me understand Eric and Pam, and even Victor. I didn't realize I was getting lost. I used to be a good Christian and an even better person. My sense of right and wrong was becoming distorted the longer I was immersed in the world of the supernatural. So much so I no longer knew what I was capable of. Now I felt like there was no humanity left in me. Saying I was creeping myself out was an understatement. I was scaring myself.

Thankfully I didn't have long to mull it over. I heard Claude coming up the steps. "This better be important" Good lord an asshole never looked so good. He was wearing a cream turtle neck over light jeans and a tan blazer over the ensemble. If he was even a smidgen less self-centered and stuck up he would be every woman's dream man. "Nice to see you again cousin, how are you? These are all proper ways to greet people" He rolled his eyes and sauntered into the house. He walked right into my bedroom. He must have known Dermot was here. Beating around the bush would do no good with someone like him. "I was wondering if you were able to mind him for a bit" He looked like he was drawn between laughing and kicking up a fuss. He must have been so floored he couldn't formulate a response. He took a seat in the rocking chair that was still by the bed.

"You look like shit" His tone added it wasn't a surprise or a downgrade from his usual state of being. Dermot appeared to be asleep but he lifted both his hands to tell Claude in a simple one fingered gesture exactly what he thought. "See he is strong enough" He reclined into the rocking chair and gave himself some good pushes and lifted his legs off the ground. It was a very childish thing that made him seem like less of a jerk, if such a thing was possible. "Your vamp step daughter is going to kill him and he knows it" Minus the fact that she was almost two hundred years my senior that was the closest you could get to explaining the relationship between Pam and I. Dermot laughed. It looked like it caused him pain but he couldn't seem to help himself. He was clutching his sides and was having a grand ole time for a full minute. All the while Claude was looking disgusted. "He has gone crazy I tell you; completely bat shit, this one" He shook his head sadly "Pam didn't do it" I snapped. Now I'm not suggesting she couldn't or wouldn't. I'm not even saying she doesn't want to. That was my first thought too. I was just saying in this instance I got word from the horse's mouth that she didn't.

Claude became vaguely interested. We both knew Dermot wasn't a slouch in terms of magical ability and fighting. "Sorceress" I explained. Dermot had stopped cackling like a crazy person at this point. He was too worn to speak. So I explained his attack to Claude and nothing more. I honestly didn't think he cared how it pertained to me. The details I skirted wouldn't affect him in any case. "Sia avell" It sounded like an expletive. "Only you would cross paths with a sorceress and rub her the wrong way" He shook his head. "You two deserve each other" Dermot chuckled weakly I knew if he had the energy he would get started up all over again. I let Claude's jab go unanswered because he sounded as though he was resigned to take care of Dermot.

Claude pulled off his blazer and folded it over the arm of the rocking chair. His lips were pushed out in an attractive pout. "I'm missing a very hot date to play a very unsatisfying game of patient and nurse" Now you think he would be somewhat concerned because Dermot was his uncle too but no. He looked annoyed. You could never accuse Claude of being self-less or modest. "Do you want more hot chocolate?" I asked. Dermot nodded. I searched in the kitchen for the biggest mug I could find to get him a refill. He had drunk all of it at this point. I made more so he could take some with him. Claude had wondered by my still open computer. "She is absolutely stunning" This surprised him. He was looking at the picture of Negy that was still on the screen. It surprised me too. For one he was gay; second he was gorgeous and he knew it. It may be have been the only compliment I had ever heard him give. Being around supes was not good for your self-esteem. When we got back into the room he kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed with Dermot. I took the chair.

This time together was nice but I didn't want to explain the strong fairy scent to Anthony. Reminding a vampire you had fairy blood in any capacity wasn't a good idea. As if I didn't have enough super natural creatures in my house weres show up on my porch. That's where they were going to stay. I went out the back door and walked all the way around. Lucky for me it was Jennalynn I didn't fell rude for not inviting her in. She cut to the chase. I was glad we skipped the dry pleasantries. "There has been an increase of attacks on humans by rogue weres. Alcide would like to offer you protection if you feel you need it" I could tell by the way her eyes tightened she wasn't happy about that. I shook my head. The very last thing I needed around here.

"What is he doing about it?" I asked though I didn't dream she would answer. "A standing kill order on any weres who hunt here and we are driving out all the strays, all the resident two natured in the area have voted" She was happy to tell me because this is what she loved to do; fight; maim; kill. Christmas came early. I nodded and left. The Shreveport pack has stepped in to save the day. If I hadn't been at their little summit I really would have believed they cared about public safety. These rogue packs they were acting as bounty hunters were ruining the progress the two natured had made that was it. It was still a good thing for the humans here. Shortly after Claude and Dermot left. I hoped it was enough time for the house to air out.

I waited for Anthony to wake up so I could fill him on all I learned. He never said anything but it was very obvious he missed the family he never knew. Given how relieved I had been I knew he would appreciate the news too. While I spoke he was quite with his eyes searching into the future. Then he broke into a huge grin. It was almost goofy. "I will see them soon" I nodded. "Three days" I replied. He nodded. I wasn't sure if he was just excited or using his vision to coincide with what I said "I can almost feel it" His voice was full of longing. I smiled at him and left. Before I went into work I drove by Shreveport. I just needed to get close enough to Eric to deliver the same message mentally then I went in for my shift.

**Sookie**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

**Final Death Of The Viking**

Just one more day; all this would be over. That little window would open up and no matter how short it was Cohan would be able to find Anthony. That's what I pinned all my nebulous hopes on. Like you would expect it was all a day late and a dollar short. All hell soon broke loose.

"You are free from work and Pam is coming" Anthony said. He woke to find me in the kitchen in my uniform. I literally had my hand on the door knob. I turned and gave him a questioning look. He shrugged and got a blood out of the fridge. Sometimes I forgot he was a guest. He has been here almost a week. In that short time we had found a comfortable rhythm. Having him here was nothing like I expected. It wasn't at all awkward. He made himself at home which helped me be more comfortable with having him here. We have had many discussions late into the night I learned a lot about him. I liked him. He was a good person. It was one of reasons why I didn't mind him being here.

"I just see the two of you here with me" This ambiguous manner was the norm of his predictions so far. He often saw the coming acts not the reason behind it. Sometimes he saw the scenarios that would lead to selected paths. He tried to explain it further than that but the further he delved into it the less I understood. In this instance it was a safe guess that Pam was coming because something unusual had happened. Tonight was Bill's night to keep watch over my house and the surrounding woods. I took a seat at the kitchen table. I wasn't going to change just yet.

Sure enough my phone rang. He smiled feeling quite pleased with himself. "Hey Sam" it was strange that I already knew why he was calling. "Sook, there's a god damn leak. I gotta close up" He sounded upset and there was a lot of noise in the background. "I can come in and help" though I wasn't sure what I could do for him exactly. "No just do me favor and call everyone" I nodded. "You got it"

"Thanks Cher" He hung up. I ran through all the waitresses that I was supposed to be on shift with. Holly had to be tracked down through my bother. He and Michele were on a double date with her and Hoyt. I got it done. After changing out of my work uniform I joined Anthony in the kitchen. He was shuffling a deck of cards he had me pick up for him. "You know you look like a bogus psychic at the carnival right" He laughed. I sat down. This was how he had trained his sixth sense. I would pick out at least a dozen cards from the deck without looking. This helped him with seeing chosen chance clearer. It was the hardest for him to see. We were at this for an hour or so. The sound of tires crushing gravel and the flash of lights let me know Pam was here.

Anthony went to answer the door. He opened it before she could knock. "So good to see you Pam" He gave her his usual smile. Pam only spared him a small nod. She was really unhappy that he was staying here regardless of the circumstances and she showed it. Honestly I think he offended her from their first encounter. He smiled brighter at her cold shoulder. "Hey Pam" She sat down at the kitchen table Anthony sat across from her and began putting the cards away. "Hello Sookie" Today she had on a lavender cardigan over a white lace camisole and a pair of light grey dress slacks. You had to be crazy to let preschool teacher ensemble fool you. She was as dangerous as any other vampire. Anthony was ignoring all the warning signs. He intentionally ground her gears every chance he got.

"How are you tonight Pam?" with vampires this question was rhetorical. They never changed. It was still polite to ask. To my surprise she answered. "Annoyed" she sure sounded it. Anthony gave a small chuckle. "Would you like a blood? Pam? Anthony?" The way I figured if he was eating he wouldn't be bothering her. Pam nodded. Anthony turned and gave me a melodramatic bow and said, "Yes. Thank you" I rolled my eyes. He was accentuating the fact that Pam's response was less than polite. He walked away towards the living room. That was a relief I think he was getting under her skin more than usual. She hasn't even been here a ten minutes. "I want to hurt him" She sounded somewhat surprised by this.

"Stop letting him know he bothers you" I never thought I would have to be telling her this. Her pretty face usually showed no expression. "It is difficult because I cannot inflict even a small amount of pain upon him and he knows it" On my way to the fridge I stopped at her chair. I leaned my head down to hers and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She relaxed a bit. "It'll be over soon" She gave me a small nod. "Sooner than we thought" I pulled away to look at her.

"DeCastro is here. He knows this state is a proverbial time bomb I would guess he has come to defuse it" I knew right away Eric would be able to get close enough to hand deliver the evidence that would send Victor to his final death. "That's really good news" I said. She nodded. I went ahead and got the bloods out and threw them into the microwave.

While her drink warmed I grabbed myself a glass of juice. When the timer beeped I shook out any hot spots before handing it to her. "Anthony your bloods ready" He didn't answer. That was really weird. He was very courteous. With his super hearing it was impossible that he didn't hear me I bet he could have heard me call him from miles away. Pam gave me a look to show her distaste for his lack of response. Something was off. I began walking towards the living room he wasn't in there I backtracked and went to the hall bedroom. "Anthony?" I called out tentatively. This was making me nervous I didn't know why. Pam appeared next to me and pushed the door open. Anthony was sitting on the floor in front of the bed with his legs folded under him. The only light in the room was coming from the hallway and the full moon. It gave the whole scene an eerie effect. Even through the dim lightening I could see he was in one of his trances.

I turned the light on. His eyes were glazed over he was facing us but I doubted he saw us. His mouth was open in a little O. Other than that there was no expression on his handsome face. Pam knew what he could do but this was the first time she was seeing it. From what he told me whatever he was seeing was major. They were the ones that caused him to go into an actual trance. She took a step towards him. I reached out and stopped her. If we startled him we might end up having to deal with him while he was all confused. We began backing away. "Eric" Anthony said. His voice was desolate. His usual baritone was hollow. It was reduced to a barely audible whisper "The Viking. He is going to die" His words had now taken on a tinge of his language. They sent ice straight into my heart.

The hold I had on Pam's hand tightened. I turned to look at her; her pretty features were twisted in confusion. The expression on my face was pure terror. Anthony was still on the floor. He hadn't quite joined us but he wasn't fully entranced. His vision came right before the reality. The ambush must have been perfectly orchestrated. Anxiety didn't precede the heaving pain that echoed through my body. The lack of warning made it worse. Through that ache I felt bloodlust. Eric was fighting. He was fighting for his life. From what Anthony had seen he would lose. I don't know how long he fought. I stood just as transfixed as Anthony had been afraid to move; afraid to breathe. I was rooted to the spot with Pam still in my grasp.

In the next instant a sharp searing pain tore through my head. All the physical injuries I had ever sustained combined were nothing compared to this. This pain was in a class all of its own. It felt like someone had dumped acid into my skull and set fire to it. My hands flew to either side of my head. The beverages Pam and I were still holding fell to the ground. They hit the floor simultaneously with a chilling crack. A blood curdling scream filled the room. It was shrill; it sounded inhuman. I didn't know it belonged to me until I my lungs no longer had the oxygen to fuel it and I was left gasping for breath. I fell to the ground in a heap with my hands still clutching my head. Pam was on her knees on the other side of me.

There was a loud thud and a figure appeared in front of me. I thought it was Bill. All I could see was a blurred outline. My vision was hazy and I felt tears on my cheeks. Someone went to survey Pam. "Sookie" Yes it was Bill his voice was anxious and demanding. He was squatting in front of me. "Sookie" He tried to pull my hands away from my head probably checking for signs of damage. I wouldn't let him. If I did my head would explode I just knew it. He took a hint and grabbed both my fore arms instead. He lifted me up slightly and ducked his head lower to look at my face. "What happened?" He was looking between the shattered glass and everyone else in the room. I blinked away tears. My eyes were glued to Pam's and hers were glued to mine. We couldn't speak. We were living the same nightmare.

"Someone, say something" Bills voice was tense. "Eric" Pam moaned. It was unclear if she was answering Bill's question or crying out for her maker. This couldn't be happening. "Is he…" Bill's voice trailed off. He couldn't bring himself to say it. "He is badly wounded" Anthony answered "but he… " Pam shot to her feet. "No!" I have never heard Pam raise her voice before. She was looking at Anthony. As if he should un-see what he had just saw. Then she looked down at me. "No" her voice was now a strangled plea. The pain in my head was still ragging. All I could manage to do was watch.

"He will come to be in a large building by a river. There are many trees that surround it. This is the place of his final death" He was looking at me. "It has to be in Benton" Bill said "Eric was in Shreveport?" Pam nodded. "The only places close enough that fit those descriptions are the old boat factories in Benton" Bill explained. Pam reached for the phone in her pocket. Anthony appeared in front of her and grabbed her wrist. She lifted her face to glare at him with fangs exposed. "You must trust me" His voice was pacifying. He was naïve. Vampires didn't trust anyone. "Abandon your plans they are prepared for them all" Her expression went from anger to defiance then settled on no expression at all.

I wasn't in my body I was outside of it watching all of this unfold. I think that was the only way my mind could even begin to process what was going on. "I will not abandon him" She said coolly. Anthony nodded. "I have seen us fighting" He let go of her and went into the closet and retrieved the two bladed halves of his staff and his backpack. "We need help. We are outnumbered and out matched" Bill said. I couldn't see his face but his tone implied that Anthony had clearly lost his mind. "Outnumbered, yes. Outmatched…" He let his voice trail off to suggest he didn't agree with that evaluation. "Tonight a mighty Fae will rise to aid us" He was looking around himself as if he was looking for something or someone.

Without thinking I said, "Dermot" Before then I had forgotten how to speak. Even so my voice didn't sound recognizable. I was scared and hopeless and it left me feeling empty. The pain in my head was reduced to a very bad headache. Dermot appeared in a house full of vampires. His bow and the quiver were across his chest and his sword was hanging from his waist. He was dressed in a black long sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans. He was dressed to fight but was stylish doing it "Yes. We are all here now" Anthony said and he went right on getting his bag together. It must be nice to know what was coming all the time.

Dermot didn't even ask what was going on or why we were all piled in one room. I wondered what the atmosphere felt like to him. He walked right up to me. Bill had the good sense to move. My uncle pulled me off the floor and looked me dead in the eyes. "We will go and we will defend what is yours" His face was hard and his tone was level. He was determined. His determination gave me strength. I nodded and went into my room to get a hold of myself.

I realized Eric was trying to block me from his pain. I was feeling a dull ache through my body but I knew it was nowhere near as a bad it could be. After I washed my face I got my sword out of my closet and slung it across my chest. Never before had I went running to a fight. Usually I would have been glad that for once fighting happened far away from me. This was different. In all the fights I had been in or around I had never had a steak in it. This time I had everything to lose.

When I went back Dermot was getting the specifics. He turned to me. It was funny how easily all the vampires in the room were ignoring the fairy. The smell of him was nothing because we all had bigger problems. If Eric died tonight we were all as good as dead. It was just a matter of who would do deliver the blow. I found that that was just fine by me. If Eric died I wanted to be right behind him. It had nothing to do with the bond. I had lost all I could stand to lose in this lifetime. "There is still time to change what I saw but not much" Anthony looked around at all of us. "We will take Sookie's car and we will take mine" Pam said. They all turned and faced the door "I want y'all to know…" Pam cut me off "Tell us when we get back" I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to say. I thought one or all of us was going to die tonight I felt like I should say something. She walked out the door and we all filed out behind her.

Bill and Judith rode with Pam I followed in my car with Dermot and Anthony. We were reaching top speeds before we hit the highway. Once we reached the highway we were flying. The cars and the night around us were soaring by in a blur. I was glad my car was new because I was sure an old car wouldn't have been able to handle these speeds. We drove in silence I felt myself getting closer and closer to Eric. We kept driving past the Shreveport exit then we reached the one for Benton.

We drove for a few more minutes then I began to see a body of water. The view disappeared behind woods. Glimpsing the scenery and knowing what might happen here made the hairs on the back of neck stand on end. "Stop here" Anthony said. I pulled over and Pam stopped and reversed. We pulled so far into the side of the road our cars were damn near invisible to any cars that may be passing by. If you wanted to torture and kill someone you couldn't beat this location with a stick. There was nothing around us. The darkness completely enveloped everything.

We all got out silently. Pam popped her trunk. She moved the spear tire and pulled out what looked like rolled up tarp. Under the light of her trunk I could see that she had several swords wrapped inside it. I could also she had shed her sweater and her hair was in a ponytail. You had to love the preparedness of vampires. Pam chose a pair of ornately decorated blades. They were too long to be daggers and too short to be a sword. They were the length of long kitchen knives. The hilt was gold and was engraved with the head of a dragon. The eyes were encrusted with what looked like rubies. Bill and Judith came and chose swords of their own. Bill and Judith chose almost identical sabers. "I saw that one there" Anthony pointed ahead everyone else looked I didn't bother I knew my senses were too dull. We began walking towards the building Anthony pointed to. We got close and I could feel the vampires begin to become excited by the prospect of a good fight. Anthony stopped.

"We have to wait. The timing, it must be exact" I trusted him. I didn't question it. I didn't know what look he got from Pam but it sure gave him the urge to explain. "We are not down wind. If we go any further now they will catch our scent. That will force their hand they are not ready to kill him yet. We must wait. It will serve more than one purpose" I understood what he was saying. So did everyone else he got no further argument. We waited for what felt like forever. No one spoke. The vampires were still glowing statues in the night. This was the breath before the plunge; the calm before the storm. Then Anthony cocked his head to the left. All the vampires and my uncle must have heard the verification they needed. Dermot and Pam came to either sides of me. They each wrapped an arm around me and together we all made a great leap that took us from the edge of the woods to the very side of the building. We used the approach of whatever they heard to cover the noise our advance would make.

"There" Bill pointed at something I couldn't see. We followed Anthony towards an entrance that I was sure no one knew existed. "Victor" Pam growled. Dermot had a hand on her shoulder restraining her. It was obvious from the beginning that he was behind this. Knowing he was here was almost too much for her to handle. She was not the only one. I have had as much of him as I could stand. This shit was going to stop today. A quick death would be too good for him. Pain shot through me again and it made my head swim into darkness briefly. I swayed where I stood but I refused to fall. "Perhaps we should leave her" Bill said. His voice was heavy with sympathy. I resented it. It made me feel weak; it made me feel powerless. Mostly it made me feel like he was already giving me his condolences. He didn't know what I could do. Before I could respond Dermot spoke. "She stands to lose the most" Bill grounded his teeth. I could tell he wanted to argue but he thought better of it.

Dermot pulled me to him. I could barely see his face. "You must not focus on your bond with him. You must not focus on his pain" I shook my head emphatically. Eric was in pain I was trying to comfort him but he wasn't letting me. He was blocking me from feeling his pain as much as he could. As sick as it sounded I wanted to suffer with him, like he had suffered with me. That pain was the only thing that let me know he was still here. The bond was all I had been focusing on. Dermot put his hands on either side of my face. "Neither will save him now" tears escaped my eyes and I squeezed them tight to smother the breakdown that I knew would follow.

Pam came to stand at my side and held my hand. "You must be strong Sookie, you must be brave for him" I nodded. "Listen to me" Dermot said "Focus on your spark and allow the moon to fuel it, let it consume you" We had only done this once and it had proved nearly too much for the human part of me to handle. "Let everything else fade away until only your magic remains. Then unleash it" As he was speaking he was doing the same thing. His breaths were getting deeper. The power he was putting out was almost tangible in the air around him. It was growing in force with every breath. I began feeling it. It began just like last time I felt my chest tighten my breathing stopped. This time I didn't panic. Dermot had explained that I had to let my spark jump start my heart. The lack of oxygen was becoming threatening I suppressed the instinct to gasp because I knew a breath wouldn't follow.

After a minute I felt the usual glowing of my spark burst into flames. I felt it wrap itself around my heart. It washed through my veins, leaving nothing behind. The little bit of fairy was taking over with the force a tsunami. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I welcomed it. Dermot backed away and took Pam with him. The rest of the vampires moved too. Prior to now I couldn't really make out anyone in the darkness. But now I saw it all; where they were, what they were feeling and what they were thinking. This was like the effects of the drugs I took to play shaman for Alcide but magnified by a hundred. I felt all powerful. I was also feeling something I had never felt before: bloodlust of my very own. My hands dropped to my knees as my breathing returned. Then it was over. I opened my eyes.

Pam's back was against Dermot's chest and his arm was around her shoulders. "Magnificent" he whispered. He was smiling it wasn't the good kind. It was the kind of smile an eager executioner wears on a busy day. I returned it. My brain was moving faster than I would have ever thought possible. I was seeing and thinking about everything all at once but it wasn't jarring. Everything was clear. Even the thought of the people around me were easily controlled. In that moment I knew all the people that had Eric would be sorry, sorry and very dead. My uncle was giving off a bluish glow that was meshing with Pam's red one. The places where their bodies made contact were a deep purple.

"Bill you will fight with your mate" Anthony was telling us how we would be divided because he had already seen how it would work best. "Fairy you will ensure none leave" Dermot gave him a nod. I heard in his head he wanted to be in the thick of battle but he knew no one could be allowed to escape after seeing what they were about to see. On top of that he hadn't fully recovered from his fight with the sorceress. Anthony was joining the two halves of his staff as he spoke. Dermot's bow was in his hand and his quiver was full of arrows. All the vampires were all varying shades of red. "Pam you will fight with Sookie. I will watch over Eric" We all nodded and waited for his mark. His head whipped up and he gave Pam a hard nod and she ripped the rusted padlocks and chains off the door. Bill and Judith ripped them off their hinges and we were inside.

**Eric**

**Chapter Thirty**

**Game; Set; Match**

At first dark I rose and began my routine. There was an urgent message from my day man to inform me that a craft that resembled that of Felipe has arrived at the Shreveport airport. I have had him checking the flights over the last few days. This would provide a small amount of warning when Cohan arrived. A much needed one. It served the same purpose now. DeCastro was deciding to take action. I wondered why he had been so slow to act. It was impossible that word has not reached his ears about the state of things in Louisiana. This was an opportunity to hand deliver the evidence provided by Anthony. We wouldn't have to wait that extra day. I warned Pam and everyone else. It was imperative that we were all on our toes tonight.

After I had gotten dressed I found my car keys and headed for the garage. This was one of the many latent functions of coming out. Living out in the open made you comfortable to a certain degree. There was no longer that urge to second guess everything. You no longer felt the need to look for danger at every corner. Our killer instincts came with an immaculate system for self-preservation. My instincts caught something as I reached the door. Before I could process exactly what I felt. I was already opening the door that led into the garage. By then it was too late.

It all happened in a fraction of a second. I was blind sighted by what looked like a bat. It was aimed at my head. I spun to side. It connected with my left shoulder instead. There was a cracking; popping noise. Immediately I knew I could not fight. My left arm was broken and dislocated at the shoulder. I hissed out in pain. I skirted backwards into the kitchen as three intruders entered my home. If I made it to the front door or a window I could escape into the night. They knew I was looking for an escape. I made it to the front door. They did not apply ample effort in stopping me. I knew I was being herded to an ambush. I skirted away from the door in time to see four more intruders enter my home.

All the exits had been blocked including my path upstairs. Okay so escape was out. I lifted into the air to keep myself from their grasp. I touched down in the kitchen right in front of the knives. This action left me with my back against the wall and the line of intruders was quickly advancing. I pulled the two longest out of the bunch. One I slid into my back pocket the other I gripped in my right hand.

This was most unfortunate. I was left handed for the most part. Over the centuries I had mastered the use of my right hand but I still favored my left. I crouched down as if to spring forward. Instead I shot into the air. I placed myself behind a straggler in the loose formation of the enemy line. I drove the knife into the base of his neck and severed his head. My fangs were extended fully and a snarl escaped my lips. Being outnumbered did nothing to abate my enjoyment of this fight. If this was going to be my end I would make it such an end as to be remembered by my enemies. I will take as many of these piss-on's with me as I could. The more I killed the better chance Pam and Sookie stood. These fighters were either inexperienced or they did not know who they would be going up against.

I took to air again. This time they were gathered in a loose circle around the counter. I found a target. Faster than she could see I descended and wrapped both my legs around her consequently pinning both her arms to her body. I lifted her into the air and decapitated her. Her head hit the ground I dropped her body on one of her comrades. While that vampire was distracted freeing himself from under her flaking corpse I was already perched on my next victim using the same tactic. Their response was faster this time. I didn't manage to lift him into to air. So I buried the knife in this head and turned the blade. They were learning quickly. They were standing on counters and tables. My advantage in the air was somewhat lost. One of them threw a silver net from atop the counter. I was barely able to dodge it. It landed over the vampire I just killed.

For the three I killed four more replaced them. This was bad. I placed my back to the ceiling. My left arm was dangling impotently. I used my right to clutch it to my chest. With their numbers I would be trapped if the fight remained in the kitchen. I moved to the living room. There was little to be used to gain height in there. To pull at the strings of their concentration I shot randomly from corner to corner of the room at full speeds looking for a target. Found one. I latched onto the back of another. This time I lingered a second too long. While I drove the other knife into his neck he ran backwards into the wall and held me there with the last of his strength. It wasn't much but it was enough.

Another was able to flit over and jabbed a large syringe into my neck. The instant he pushed the plunger I knew he had injected me with silver. A tortured scream escaped my lips. Instantly I dropped to my knees. The knife I was holding fell from my grasp. My hand was full of my hair as I clutched my head. I fell to the side with the newly deceased vampire flaking away at my side. The pain of silver was second only to the sun. Silver on the flesh of a vampire scorched the flesh and incapacitated the body. The sun sent all the parts that were exposed ablaze. I have experienced both and I would never forget it. Neither of those were a match for this. There was no comparison to be made from my millennia of existence; no words strong enough in any language I knew that could describe the pain that was coursing through my skull. This was the pinnacle of agony; pure hell.

For the first time I took a good look at the intruders in my home. I recognized none of them. They must be the hired hands from New Hampshire. So Raquel had opted to act before receiving payment. They were gathered in a circle over me. This was it. I would go to my final death now. I waited for my head to be removed or for a stake to run through my chest. To my surprise neither came. This meant I was to be interrogated. Believe me this was not good news. I could promise myself that I would not cry out; that I would not whimper. I wanted to begrudge my abductors the pleasure of hearing my screams. The truth was I was not that strong. No one was. The night was young and vampires were very creative as exemplified by the silver in the syringe. On the up side the longer they held me the longer Pam would have to find me. Pam. Sookie. My dead heart ached. I reached out to them both from within myself but all I felt was my own pain being ricocheted. They need not suffer with me. I began constructing a barrier between them and me. It was weak and even so it took considerable effort.

Blocking them from my pain would do little to protect them from a similar fate. My child would come running. She would bring all those who were loyal to me. That thought did not bring much hope. There was no doubt this was Victor's doing. He knew Pam was as skilled fighter. He knew she was fiercely loyal. I knew without a doubt that he was prepared for her. More than anything I began to hope Pam would survive this night because I surly would not. She had to survive for Sookie. "Search the house" One of them called. On his command they all scattered.

I have been captured; I am badly wounded. Chances are I could expect no outside help. My damaged arm had begun to heal immediately after I was wounded. Granted it was healing disjointed but it was still healing. Now even the tiny puncture made by the syringe refused to close. Even if I wasn't executed I would die regardless. The Silver in my blood was spreading. Time was running out for me. I took comfort in the fact that I would not be tortured for too long. My body would soon fail. To test the damage I curled my toes. The action did not happen as quickly as I commanded and it was shaky. The same was true for the rest of my body. At this rate I had approximately four hours left till I was finally dead. Perhaps less if I was jostled about considerable.

They tore throw my home for some time. I knew exactly what they were looking for. I smiled to myself because I knew it wasn't here. Soon they realized this as well. The one who called for the search returned to stand over me. "You know exactly why we're here blondie" I suppressed the urge to kick him. I did not know if they were aware I could still move. If they did not I didn't want to give that advantage away. He squatted over my legs. "Tell us where it is, there's no reason to do this the hard way" This miscreant was patronizing me. I smiled at him. "Have it your own way bub"

He straightened and came to stand at my head. He lifted my wounded arm above my head. I gritted my teeth in pain causing my fangs to run into my lip. He began dragging me behind him as he made his way to the garage. As he walked I saw that the house was empting of all occupants. A van was parked next to my corvette and I was loaded into the back. "Where is everyone else" the driver asked. I smiled. "They didn't say this fucker could fly" one of them replied. "Let's go" We drove for only a few minutes then I heard sirens blaring past us. It was heading in the direction in which we had come. There was no doubt that my house was on fire. A fire would solve a few problems I this situation. It would erase all traces of the fight that transpired. Not even the best were would catch a trail. My scent and all of theirs would be lost in the smoke. Most importantly the fire could possibly destroy the prize they sought. There was no guarantee of that. That was the only reason I was not burning with my home. I was being brought as insurance.

We drove for less than a half hour mostly we traveled on the highway. During which I listened intently to my abductors for anything useful. Apparently I had to be afraid of someone named Frank the butcher. All the thoughts that crossed my mind were a welcomed distraction. The pain in my head was still there. It was not as severe. Mainly because the silver was no longer contained in my head; it was spreading. My fangs had retracted on their own. The control I had over my fingers was weaker. The van turned from a main road and began moving over what felt like gravel. I was unloaded from the van. This time both my arms and legs were carried. It was a small mercy. I did not recognize the surrounding area. It was heavily wooded and I smelled a body of water. The procession led into what looked like an abandoned factory. This was an ideal lair. The fog from the water made the darkness heavier. The building was isolated, there was nothing else to be seen or heard for miles.

I was brought in. All my clothes were removed. Both my arms were bound with silver chains (needlessly might I add). One of my arms was badly damaged. I no longer had control of the other. The silver chains were fastened to a hook that hung from a low beam. The pain was excruciating. I was hanging a few inches off the floor. All of my body's weight was now being supported by my arms. That was just the beginning of my troubles. Frank the butcher was the worst kind of interrogator. Or the best depending on which side of his blade you were on. He was patient and skilled. He knew I had silver in my blood. For every cut he made he stopped the bleeding with a heated piece of metal. Any hopes I had of bleeding out prematurely evaporated. He was marveling like an artist over his canvas. I got the feeling this was foreplay because he did not ask me a single question while he worked.

Truthfully Frank wasn't doing anything intolerable, yet. At the moment he contented himself with carving patterns on my chest. The night was still young. The true test of my strength would come when he began cleaving flesh from bone and hacking off limbs. I closed my eyes and began forcing my mind from my body. My thoughts drifted to my lover. I was replaying the nights I spent with her while I was cursed. In those few days I experienced more happiness than I had in countless centuries past. Sookie was my refuge then and now. I could see her face so clearly behind my lids. The thought of not seeing her again caused a different kind of pain. It made my barrier slip. My eyes snapped open.

In that instant I felt Pam and Sookie were very close to me. "No Pam" This knowledge sent fear throw me for the first time tonight. "I was starting to think I was boring you" Frank crooned. I kicked him. He stumbled backwards. Two vampires rose to help him subdue me. He waved them away and looked positively thrilled by my futile act of resistance. "I hope I get to keep you a long time" He said. "I think I'm in love" My antics had done nothing but entice him. Perfect. It was clear that I could not force his hand.

My efforts turned to trying to give Pam an edict but I was just too weak. Panic was rising in me. I knew Pam would come but Sookie could not be anywhere near here. Then it occurred to me that there was no way she would allow herself to be left behind. She was my Valkyrie brave and bold but I still feared for her. My eyes were darting around the room.

Total there were ten vampires here. None of which were familiar. A fight would soon ensue. The outcome would be most unfavorable. There was a flurry of activity and I saw Victor. He was accompanied by all his men and he was angry; livid; furious beyond anything I had ever seen. Something hadn't gone according to plan. "Where are the women?" He shouted at no one in particular. He was in front of the vampire that spoke to me back at my house. Their noses were inches apart. "Mike how did your people manage to fuck this up"

"They weren't where you said they'd be" His tone held contempt. He had been sent in without all the necessary information. It caused casualties. Victor growled and spun away. I was gleeful. He had intended to have Pam and Sookie here. There was no way I would have been able to endure watching them being tortured as well. Victor came to me. "You know Eric it didn't have to come to this" I gave him a smile. His face contorted and he flashed to Frank's table of instruments. In the same instant he smashed my ankle with a large mallet. My vision blurred momentarily. "This is exactly what I mean" He shrieked. I once believed Victor to be so dangerous because he was very good at reigning in his anger. Nothing could be farther from the truth in this moment. He was so out of control he could be mistaken for a newly turned vampire. The fact that I had managed to reduce him to this pleased me greatly. "You are arrogant. You will never bow to me or anyone fully"

I smiled. He was correct on all counts. "It is all slipping through your fingers, isn't it?" I gave a short dark laugh. He looked beyond words. It was ill-advised to spend my depleting supply of energy taunting him. That was exactly what I did. I had nothing to lose I may as well amuse myself. "You lack the premise to anything more than an underling" I said in a matter of fact tone. His hand twitched I thought he was going to strike me again. Then he regained his composure. He turned to Frank. "Break him" Frank became openly jubilant. He had received the green light to move from foreplay to the real thing. As he prepared his tools I too prepared myself. One way or another this would be over soon.

My barrier crumbled. Something was wrong. I prodded the bond. The tinge of Sookie's emotions was different. It was shifting into something alien. I was feeling a familiar reddish haze takeover my brain. It certainly did not originate from my body. I simply didn't have the energy. My wife was feeling bloodlust. It was accompanied by a fiery determination. Then she disappeared. A fervent kind of hope filled me and for a second I drowned in it. Tears escaped my eyes and I began laughing. Every injury I sustained hurt as I laughed. I didn't care I couldn't help myself even if I wanted to. The vampires in the room gave me blank stares. "Döden kommer" I said between chortles. Clearly they thought I had gone mad. I laughed harder.

My head was turned slightly to the right. They were right on the other side. I saw them the minute they entered: Bill, Judith, Anthony, Pam, Dermot, and Sookie. The second they breeched the room the fairy shot three arrows from his bow at the same time. This wasn't very threatening. Even the slowest vampire was faster than any arrow especially at that distance. For every inch the arrows passed they gained speed. They divided and struck three separate targets at opposing ends of the room. Bill and Judith took one side of the room and Pam and Sookie remained where they were. They stood back to back and they were instantly surrounded. The fairy disappeared and perched himself on the highest beam in the room. The fight began. Anthony cut his way through two attackers. For someone with no fighting experience he was impressive. Then he appeared in front of me.

I was outraged. "Help them" I growled. He ignored me. He leaped off the floor with an arm around my waist and unhooked me from the beam. Then he laid me gently on the floor. My hands were still bound with silver he unchained me with his bare hands. His hands weren't burned. His face showed no sign of pain. This whole thing reeked of fairy magic of which I was fervently grateful. After he freed me he stood in front of me. From my place on the ground I had a good view of the fight. He should be helping the others they were outnumbered. Just as I was going to begin protesting I saw Pam get tackled to the ground. Her attacker had a stake. No one was able to aid her. They were all buried in bodies at this point. I watched in horror as he brought it to her chest. Nothing happened. Another arrow from the fairy ended him. Pam got up and she continued fighting.

Bill and Judith were a perfectly synchronized pair. They glided through the floor with almost identical movements laying waste to all they reached. Pam and Sookie faced off with vampires twice their size and smiled. Before I could watch them do battle my view was blocked by Anthony, who was now facing off against Victor and Frank. Combined they had more strength but he had more skill. He was holding them off and even gaining some ground. Then he was stabbed in the chest. The blade didn't penetrate his body. He used the opportunity to decapitate Frank. Victor having seen what was going on decided to run. "Coward" Anthony shouted and he followed after him.

Something he did got Sookie's attention. "Anthony No" She yelled. She bypassed her opponent and ran after him. She got half way in his direction then froze. Her head was whipping between the main fight and where Anthony was facing off against victor. She looked afraid and torn. Her gaze was searching the room for something. It zeroed in on the silver chain that had bound my hands. I knew she intentionally avoided looking at me. It would have broken her concentration. The chain lifted off the ground and flew across the room and coiled around Victor's neck. He dropped to the floor. "Anthony" Sookie shouted. He was looming over Victor. At her words he was immediately in front of me again. To my amazement the numbers were now in our favor.

Mike was right behind Sookie. Although her back was turned she spun to the side and faced him. Her fighting style suited her beautifully; feign and strike. Each stroke of her blade was precise. His movements were not as fast as they could have been. He was approaching her with due caution. Her movements were fluid and graceful. She dodged his attacks before he made them. This fight was lopsided. He was no match for her. The fight was won when he made a reckless grab for her. She turned her back to him and he fell on her sword. He fell to his knees and she finished the kill. This beat any fantasy I ever had of her. I looked around the room. Darkness had been creeping into my peripherals. I had been fighting to keep my eyes open for some time. I let them close. It was over. We won.

**I KNOW THIS IS A TOUGH END TO THE CHAPTER**

**I AM BEGINNING TO GET THAT BITTER SWEET FEELING. I AM CLOSING IN ON THE FINISH LINE OF MY VERY FIRST FAN FIC ADVENTURE. IT IS TEMPTING ME TO DRAG IT OUT BUT TRUTH BE TOLD I ENJOY MY RAPID UPDATES. AS ALWAYS LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS FEELINGS AND PREDICTIONS. **


	8. The End

**Eric**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

**It's Not My Time**

"Eric, Eric" My child's voice was frantic. Well as frantic as Pam could ever sound. My eyes opened slightly to her peering down at me. She was on her knees. My head and some of my upper body were in her lap. "Master" Concern marred her pretty features. I gave her a weak smile. My eyes were searching for Sookie. I reached my good arm out for her. Ordinarily I would refrain from exhibiting such behavior in the presence of other vampires. I was having a very bad night. I felt I was allowed "She is coming" Pam gently pushed my hand down and wrapped her hands around my neck. We were behaving like a pair of humans. It was grossly obscene. Sookie was speaking with the fairy I couldn't make out what was being said over the noise. Bill and Judith were finishing off those of our enemies that had only been wounded. It was a noisy affair.

The fairy disappeared and Sookie began walking to me. I could tell she had been crying. She knelt down to my right and gingerly took my hand. "Hello lover" Tears escaped her eyes. "Hi sweetheart" She rubbed my hand and just stared into my eyes. Her expression was unfathomable. "Well?" Pam asked. She was obviously awaiting a response to a question I missed. Sookie responded without looking at her. "There is nothing he can do"

"That is not acceptable. Make him come back" Her voice was flat. The taste of my child's blood in my mouth told me it was too late. All of my injuries were still unhealed. Her blood could not cure the poison in my body. She was in denial of the inevitable. Sookie continued with her eyes still boring into mine. "There is something he said I can try" Pam's body relaxed slightly. Something in Sookie's tone concerned me. "That is not all" I said. She shook her head. "I can kill you or me or both of us" She had already accepted these terms. "No" I wanted my tone to hold finality but it carried very little weight. Pam was about to argue when Anthony spoke.

"I have seen it" He was looking at me. "If you refuse you will die and you don't even want to know what will become of her" As he spoke more tears fell from Sookie's eyes. "I won't survive this Eric. I wouldn't even want to" I wiped her tears away with my thumb. She held my hand to her face. I nodded. Anthony stood and went to the table that held the butchers tools and handed Sookie a long carving knife. Then he went and sat at my feet. "You will save him" Pam said calmly. It was a command and a plea. All the while Sookie was looking at me. "This is going to hurt a lot" I nodded.

She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "I love you" She whispered. "I love you dear one" She wrapped her hand around my neck and held unto me as she pulled away. Pam was bracing my back. I was not able to sit on my own volition. Sookie pushed the blade into me. The cut was made between my ribs right under my heart. She didn't stop until it went through me. I hissed in pain. She was sitting on her haunches and my head was leaning into her shoulder. I was pulling in deep breaths with my face buried into her hair. I was forcing myself to feel nothing else but the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair. She removed the blade and replaced it with the middle and index finger of her right hand. I felt her fingers forcing my ribs apart. I whimpered.

The fact that her fingers were inches from my heart made me feel like the worst was over. I was wrong, so very wrong. After a few seconds the blood in my body began to burn. Breathing technique be damned. Instinctively I began to struggle. Anthony gripped my legs. Pam's arms braced my upper body in place. "No baby" Sookie wrapped her free hand around my neck. She knotted her fingers in my hair and held me to her. I suppressed the urge to fight her hold. I wrapped my right hand around her waist and held onto her to keep from screaming and trying to break free "That's right" Her voice was soothing. I relaxed into her and continued breathing no matter how useless it was in managing my pain. The fire in my body erupted. I was burning from the inside out. My cries filled the room. After a full minute of this hell I realized I had better control over my toes. The damage that Victor had done to my ankle was gone. Pam was no longer supporting all my weight. Unfortunately the higher up the relief went the more painful the procedure became. I clutched her waist tighter. She also tightened the grip she had on me. She was calling the silver out of my body. I barely registered the burns on my back as it leaked from the exit wound she made. The remnant of the silver was in my chest. For the first time in over a thousand years my heart gave a physical reaction. It contracted. I screamed. There was nothing left in me to block pain or to be strong with. I was raw and empty. Just when I thought my heart would explode it was over. Pam wiped away the silver residue from my back as the wound closed.

Sookie pulled away to look at me. There was blood running down her nose. There was so much of it was pooling in the hollow of her throat. The front of her shirt was soaked in it. I was horrified. She gave me a small smile. Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the side. I caught her and arranged her on my lap.

I tore into my wrist and brought the wound to her mouth. I was brushing her hair back while I fed her. She wasn't dead. I could feel her but just barely. The part of her that was within was peeling away as the life left her body. Her pulse was very faint she was failing fast. "Wake up" I said forcefully. Her heart rate was irregular. It was slowing. My wound closed and the beating of her heart was only declining. I tore into my wrist again. "Eric" Pam called out in warning. We all knew what I was in danger of doing. This couldn't be happening. I refused to let her die not now and not like this. My vision was becoming blurred. "Please lover wake up" My plea was whispered. My voice was choked with dread. Her pulse hadn't picked up. My wound closed for the second time. Giving her more of my blood would turn her. I struggled to obey her wishes as her life hung in the balance. I brought my wrist to my fangs again. "No" Anthony said. "She's dying" I growled at him. He shook his head. "Wait" Her heart gave a few labored thumps and it failed. Her breathing stopped. My hands were full of my hair. I couldn't feel her within me. She was gone.

Anthony was staring into her face with his head leaning to one side with a curious expression on his face. I was going to rip him shreds with my bare hands. A full minute hadn't passed. Sookie's eyes snapped open; her back arched. She pulled in a sharp breath like someone who had been submerged under water. "Hi" she said weakly. I smiled in relief so exquisite it was beyond words. "Hello" I wiped the blood from her face and neck. Anthony came over to intrude on the moment. "Here" He handed me two bottles of blood. Then he passed some out to everyone else. They were cold but they satiated the hunger and restored our strength. He also gave me a pair of jeans and a sweater. They were not at all my taste. He handed Sookie a packet of something. She looked at it and gave a weak chuckle. "What kind of vampire carries wet naps?" He rolled his eyes and smiled "The prepared kind"

Anthony's smile faded and he stared ahead at nothing. I was curious as to what he saw. "You need to move your people from there" Pam looked at me. I nodded. I would be a fool not to adhere to him. She flashed to the place where Victor was still writhing on the ground. "May I borrow your phone Vick" She fished in his pockets and retrieved his phone. She was not above stepping on a few of his fingers with enough force to break them. Anthony winced. "Sorry about your bar" My night was getting better and better. "Are you always in this much trouble?" His eyes were now focused on me but he managed to include Pam in his sarcastic remark. We both scowled. Sookie smiled.

Pam dialed the bar but got no response obviously. She dialed Maxwell's cell. When we were both absent he was in charge. He answered and she gave me the phone. "This is Maxwell Lee" His voice was defiant and laced with hostility. Then again I was calling form Victor's phone. "Maxwell" I said. He actually drew in a breath. "Master, we heard from your day man about your home. Victor's men had the bar surrounded for some time. I sent someone to check your wife's home she is missing there appears to be signs of a struggle. The scent of Bill and Pam were present as was a fairy and two unknown vampires. Pam cannot be reached Compton is missing as well." His briefing was bleak from his stand point. "Was anyone else lost?"

"No. When Victor's men left I closed the bar and called everyone here, tonight is not a good night to be roaming about if you are of the old regime" Pam chuckled. I smiled. "Is everyone there?"

"Yes. Rasul as well" That was a bit of good news. "Well done. Leave now; lead everyone to the place where we first met Thalia" I already heard movement in the background as I hung up.

I got dressed. "What's the plan?" Bill asked. "We need to regroup with the others. Victor is going to answer to his king tonight" I didn't think it would do much but he would be my act of good faith. Deep down I felt this fight was only round one. If I were Felipe I would be coming to clean house. That was one explanation for why he had taken so long to respond to the unrest of this state. He was massing the full force of his Kingdom. At this point he thinks I had been eliminated. He would use it as a valid justification to rid himself of Victor. Quashing the fragments of the old regime would ensure he would not have any more problems in the future. This was a win; win situation for him.

The urge to kill Victor was overwhelming but his life did not belong to me. It was a pity that he could die once for his many crimes. Pam threw him into the trunk of her car. Again I was sure she broke something on him. We exited the building Bill remained behind to start a fire. There has been a lot of that going around tonight soon we were on the highway. It was fairly deserted. "Are you feeling better" I asked Sookie. She nodded. Physically she had regained all her strength. I kept stealing glances at her. She seemed calm she felt calm too. I was unsure what to make of it. On the other hand I wasn't sure what I was expecting; hysterics; guilt maybe. I remembered how guilty she had felt when she killed Debbie pelt in self-defense. Less than an hour ago she had killed five vampires that I counted. We had both come within inches of leaving this world. I was certain she had seen more blood tonight than all her past adventures combined. It was obvious she had grown and changed to survive all that has conspired against her. I asked myself if I should be concerned. I wasn't, not if it helped her survive.

"_What are you thinking about so hard?"_ She thought. She was sitting with her eyes closed and her hand in mine. _"You"_ I replied. She picked the gist of what I was implying out of my head. _"You want me to feel guilty?"_ Her mental tone was peppered with amusement. I could see the humor. A vampire was concerned about the conscience of a human who had spilt blood. _"No. I'm curious"_ She shrugged her shoulders delicately. _"Let's just say my morals got a makeover"_ I smiled. I saw what she meant. Her guilt was reserved for people who didn't want to kill her. We continued the rest of the journey in silence. We flew; never going below a hundred. The drive would normally have taken over two hours we made it with time to spare.

We were pulling into the parking lot of 'The Six House'. The night I met Thalia she had been involved in a fight here. It was gruesome. She narrowly avoided having her fangs and hands removed. We were the first to arrive. "You two stay here" I told Anthony and Sookie. The rest of us crept into the shadows to await the others. Less than ten minutes later four other cars joined us they were seconds apart. I recognized all of them. The presence of Pam in my body suddenly got stronger. A black and red sporty motor cycle joined us. The vampire riding it made a very deliberate showing of removing his helmet. Assuming he liked his head on his shoulders it was best. He was already surrounded. We all came into view. Pam remained at my side with strenuous effort. It was her child. "He is mine" She said coolly. Her words were laced with threats.

He removed his helmet and finally stepped off his motorcycle. Strapped over his shirt were two sabers in sheaths. We were similar in height and build. Our physical features were opposing. It was hard to tell what Pam saw in him. He walked to his maker and dropped on one knee at her feet. "My lady" His voice was full of reverence. She waved for him to rise and he did. "Master this is my child: Tristan; Tristan this is our maker" He bowed deeply. I nodded in acknowledgement. I knew she had a child I had never met him. She had never gotten over the fact that she created him unintentionally. There was only a decade or so between them. "Tristan what has brought you here?"

"Forgive me. I felt you had been badly wounded two nights prior." Counting Rhodes, the attack by Alexei, and the coyotes it was reason to worry. The look on his face said she had been too gravely injured too frequently and in a too short a time. "I took it upon myself to come to you. Pin pointing your exact location was proving strangely difficult. So I went to your bar. I knew something was amiss. I waited. When they all left I followed" He paused and looked at the four of us. No doubt he smelled blood and ash. "You are well" She nodded. He stood in position behind her.

I turned to everyone else that was present. Total there was fifteen of us. Some were native to my area. Others took refuge here after Katrina and the takeover. Rasul was the only surviving member of the queen's guard. "Felipe is here" They all nodded. "I believe he has thought better of his decision to leave us in peace" This did not illicit any reaction from any of them. "Victor has been subdued. His people have been wiped out" Everyone that was not there for the fight was wide eyed. I was not going to explain how that came about. "The king is in the country estate"

"I will go ahead you will all stand ready in case I have need" I was searching their faces for signs of hesitation but saw none. I turned to Pam to continue. She would fill them in on what they missed. I went to check on Sookie. It was a shame she could not fight with me. Anthony was a good fighter but it was vital he remained safe. If things took a turn for the worse he could keep her safe until Cohan came. He owed her a great debt. One that I was certain he would repay. She would be made safe for the rest of her days. Anthony got out of the car as I got in. "Tell me you took so long because you can't decide on a hotel" I said nothing. She must have assumed we met here to figure out a plan to hide or run.

"When we leave I need you to get far away from here with Anthony" She closed her eyes. "Eric. Let's all just lay low. I know you want to be king but it doesn't have to be tonight" Her tone had turned wheedling. If I thought we would live out the night I would wait. I wrapped my arm around her and brought her head to my chest. "This isn't so much about being king as it is about being free. Even if he wasn't here to wipe out the old regime which I believe he is. It would only be a matter of time before I made him anxious. Then we will be in the same place all over again. I will never be able to orchestrate an opportunity as good as this" I paused to allow her to see my point. "Do you remember the offer I made you the night we fought Hallow?" She nodded. "I am offering it again tonight. If everything works out I will make Pam queen and we can live simply"

"You would do that for me?" I nodded. I would be lying if I said it was a small sacrifice because it wasn't. She has given concession to be with me; she has fought and bled to remain at my side. I wanted her to have a good life. One that did not always call for her to face death. It was easier to live her lifestyle than it was to live mine. If I could not freely give this for her then I did not deserve her love and all that she had given me. "I would be happy" She said. It was as though she could almost see it. I smiled. "Yes" Then she let out a deep breathe. "But you wouldn't be" I knew she was going to refuse-again. "Our bond aside I am still happiest with you" I said honestly. "And I'm happiest with you. There's no debating that but you want to be king" She waited for me to respond. I nodded. "Taking that from you no matter how short a time isn't something I can live with. I would feel like I'm robbing you in the worst way. It's the same reason I said no that night." She chuckled. "I'm an idiot" Some would call her act idiocy others would call it the embodiment of selflessness. I was not yet decided. I kissed her head and said nothing. "I'm coming with you" She opened the door. I could feel that arguing was meaningless. Since she was insisting on coming then so was Anthony because I didn't care what happened to him if she died.

We walked back to where the others were gathered. The wind blew Sookie's scent into their faces. They turned and snarled with exposed fangs. Tristan was in front of Pam with his swords drawn. Confusion was plain on all their faces. "Give me a break" She muttered under her breath. She smelled of death more so than anyone else. My guess was the shield she used to protect them during battle absorbed the scent of it and remained on her. She didn't come any closer. She found a nearby stoop and sat. Anthony sat next to her. He appeared tense. Everyone eyed him but said nothing. Telling them who he was would only shake their focus before a possible battle. "Exactly like the bogeyman" Pam chuckled. She stepped from behind her child and joined her where she sat. "That's not my fault. You started the stories" Sookie retorted somewhat embarrassed. Pam laughed and threw an arm around her. Tristan stood with me but he clearly didn't want Sookie that close to Pam. He was eyeing them implicitly.

"Hey Rasul, long time no see" Sookie greeted. "You cannot be the one in the same" he replied. She shrugged her shoulders to say she was leaving it for him to decide. Anthony stood and went back into the car. I followed him. "You should not leave right away" It was irritating not knowing why. "Do you trust me?" He asked. I trusted him because Sookie did. He had nothing to gain from my demise. He has helped save both my life and that of my child. I trusted him even more because I didn't have a choice. "I do" He nodded. "Why" He was strange. I didn't see what difference it made. "I know you do not mean me or my wife any harm" He smiled.

"You are walking into a trap. If you take the main road you will never reach your destination. The short one in white, he has given us away" I made to leave the car as to deal with Graham but he stopped me. "This is where your trust comes into play. You still have to go" I was wrong about him. He wasn't strange he was insane. "Why tell me if I should march to slaughter anyway" He was wasting time I didn't have. "It would have betrayed the trust you have given" I was torn. "Is there anything I can do to save her?" I finally asked. "Stay the course" I nodded and we returned to the others. Everyone eyed us but said nothing.

"Tristan" I called out. He turned to me. "My lord" I pointed to Graham. "End him" He was already behind him before I finished my order. He made quick work of him. No one spared the now flaking filth a second glance. No one questioned me. "Figures" Sookie said dryly "No one flinches at that but I get growled at" She was muttering to Pam feeling genuinely irritated. Pam chuckled. Tristan gave her a smug smile and wiped his blade clean. "Jealous much" He asked. She frowned. "No. I'm just saying" We discussed strategies and teams. When Anthony gave his mark we left.

I would be driving to the estate with Sookie, Anthony and Bill in Pam's car. The drive to the kings country estate was short from our current location. It was an enormous mansion set over sixty acres of plush green grounds. It was complete with an Olympic sized swimming pool and tennis court. Except for the fountains that added a touch of Vegas to the landscape, not much has changed since the last time I was here during the rule of Sophie Anne. We took an alternate route suggested to us by Rasul. A few minutes later we were in front of the tall black gates.

We stopped to be checked in. They let us enter un-accosted. The fact that the smell of death coming from our car was ignored let me know Anthony was right. I called Pam. We drove to the main entrance and I could already see the grounds come to life. I got out slowly as did everyone else. Felipe and Nathaniel were visible on the front porch. I bowed. "Your majesty" He looked surprised to see me. "Northman I had feared the worse" I nodded. "Victor?" He asked. I nodded. "I have brought him to you" He arched an eyebrow. "I also have proof that he has been stealing from this state and has been using the money to pay for aid from Raquel of New Hampshire" He nodded. "Sandy was aiding him" At least he believed that part of my story. I didn't have time to inform him of Anthony's origins.

Several vampires came from the shadows and were forming a front line in front of the house. I sighed internally. It wasn't a good night to be a Viking. I had hoped my assumption along with Anthony's prediction were wrong. I felt Sookie's mind shift. She got out of the car and handed us each a weapon. They watched her with expression ranging from amusement to awe. "I would say we didn't come for a fight but this appears to be an execution" Felipe nodded. "You have much potential to go from a pain in my ass to a thorn in my side very quickly" I smiled. He assumed this would be easy. There was no way I hadn't incurred losses with my fight with Victor.

I twirled my sword in my hand as I spoke to get a better feel of it. "I don't suppose it would make a difference to inform you that this is a child of Kováll and that Victor has killed another?" I knew they would not believe me. Even to my own ears that sounded like the tallest of tales. All eyes immediately went to Anthony, who waved. "I'm even psychic" he added. There was a humor in his voice. He had already seen this fight was inevitable. Nothing we said now would change it. With the corner they thought they had me backed into they would assume it was act of desperation. Felipe surveyed him for a long second then he smiled. "He must be some psychic to have marched with you into your final death" Nathaniel said with a bored expression. Anthony chuckled. "I didn't say I was a good one" I smiled. He hasn't been wrong yet. "Nice try Eric" Felipe concluded. Through the gate Pam and the others came to join us. At least I get to fight in the second round.

**Eric**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

**My Ascension**

"I really wished I had gone to work" Sookie said with a smile. I laughed and kissed her then we stood back to back. Pam came to my right with Rasul at her back. Tristan was to my left. We were partnered evenly. The pairings Pam created were balanced. Strength complimented lack of experience and skill balanced size. The blitz ensued. Our formation held through the first wave. No one was dead. Those who Sookie couldn't shield were paired with those that she could. "Eric" She called. She was exhausted. "I only have another minute in me" I nodded. The numbers were now in our favor even counting the King and his guards. Felipe pulled back he was beginning to see this may not go his way.

We took the time to regroup. "I have missed the action of this state" Rasul said. We all laughed. Nothing could mitigate the enjoyment of a good fight, not even imminent death in fact it made it sweeter. Sookie was on her knees with her sword in the dirt. She shook her head ruefully. Head lights washed over the scene. Reinforcements had arrived this where the real fight would begin. We no longer had use of Sookie's shield. "So what do you think Anthony. If we die would it destiny or choice" He smiled and took her hand. "No my dear friend, today destiny is our friend. I know it" She smiled. "My father is here" There were only a few of us that knew what that meant. When we heard it we were relived. That feeling did not last. Felipe's men had regrouped. We all stood out of our various crouching positions except Sookie. Anthony's posture was completely at ease. I wish I could share his certainty. But when I looked around I could see no signs of Cohan. There was a circle of vampires that surrounded us and they were closing in quickly.

"Drop your weapons" Anthony said. By all rights it appeared to be suicide. I did as he asked. Everyone else followed reluctantly. He thrust one end of his staff into ground. He reached behind his back and pulled out a small dagger. He cut deep into his wrist and fanned his wound through the air. No one knew what to make of this. The instant his blood hit the air the wind began to howl. He said something in a language that was long lost. At his words there were several flashes lightening that illuminated the night sky followed by deafening cracks of thunder. This was strange. Vampires could smell a storm from hours away. This was unnatural. Both sides watched as a tall ring of fire surrounded our circle. It wasn't dangerously close. It was stagnant it did not flicker or move with the wind. It served to keep us out of reach.

I was wearing a grim smile. Cohan was here. Someone appeared quite literally out of thin air. He did not fly nor did he travel the way fairies did. He just materialized; blew in with a particularly strong gust of wind. He appeared into the circle completely bypassing the flames and stood in front of Anthony; prince Atéyo. "He is a God" Rasul whispered. The roaring flames died instantly. Only a small amount remained it surrounded both of Atéyo's hands and caused him no harm. Felipe's men skirted back several feet. His presence preceded that of his father and siblings by seconds. They were aligned in front of us and facing Felipe. Both sides dropped to their knees. Just like that the fighting came to an abrupt end. "Somehow 'I told you so' just doesn't quite seem to cover it" Anthony muttered."Father" he called.

Cohan turned. He looked at Anthony as though he were seeing an impossible dream. He raised both his hands and brought them to either sides of his face. Tears escaped his eyes. He pulled him into a long embrace. He was murmuring and patting his back. "I knew you were real. I have been searching everywhere for you" He whispered. Cohan pulled away and caught sight of his bleeding hand. His eyes flashed. "Who has done this to you" His voice was barely audible it was so choked with rage. I would guess Anthony was checking the future to see what answer to give that wouldn't result in all our deaths. When he did not answer right away Cohan turned with Anthony's hand still in his own.

One instant his other hand was empty. The next it was wrapped around Felipe's throat. He held him off the ground so they were eye to eye. DeCastro looked frozen; he looked paler and most unwell. His eyes were fixed upon the one true king of vampires. I could not process what I just saw. There were over a hundred feet and a front line of people separating the two of them. Cohan hadn't moved he still had a hold on Anthony's hand. "What have you done to my child" From the sound of his voice it did not matter to him that his child's wound was well its way to being healed. He would slaughter masses just on principal.

"He stormed my compound" Felipe replied. His words sounded strangled, duly so. That was very fast thinking on his part. Cohan was not unjust as mighty as he was. "Is this true my son?" Anthony nodded. "It is father" Cohan released Felipe. "Why would you do such a thing?" He sounded surprised by this. Anthony answered. While he spoke Cohan did not respond his gaze did not veer from Felipe. I had no hopes of discerning what was being said. Their tongue had no basis in any known language, it was completely other. Anthony spoke for a few minutes. Finally he gestured to Sookie. Cohan turned his back to a still petrified Felipe and looked at us for the first time.

"Rise" he said and we did. He was emanating a kind of power that made you uncomfortable from looking into his eyes. His gaze was fixed on Sookie appraising her. "This is your friend" Cohan asked there was a smile in his voice. Anthony nodded. "Your majesty" She offered him a deep nod. It was all she could manage. She was tucked between Pam and I. We were keeping her up right. He smiled at her "Hello there little one" His gaze moved and examined the rest of us. "What of them? Are they friends to you as well?" Anthony grinned. "Yes. Pam is especially fond of me" Cohan's gaze moved to Pam. She was not going to concur but she would be a fool to disagree. "You, come here" Cohan said. He pointed behind himself at Felipe without turning. Felipe presented himself.

"This Victor you want him?" Cohan asked. DeCastro nodded. There was an unmistakable glint in his eyes. Victor had been conspiring with outside states. He has stolen from him. He had nearly gotten DeCastro slaughtered. Not to mention he had cost him Louisiana and Arkansas. I lacked the ingenuity to imagine the things he would suffer. I wondered if I would be allowed to watch. Perhaps I would be allowed to partake in the festivities. There was no doubt it would be public. The king had no fear of retaliation or causing uproar within his ranks. In fact he needed to make an example of him. The Kováll's spoke amongst themselves briefly. Then Anthony spoke. "We forfeit our right to his life. He is yours to do with as you wish" DeCastro nodded.

"First bring him to me" Cohan ordered. Pam left my side to do as he asked. She dropped Victor at his feet. He crouched to face him. He removed the silver from around his neck with bare hands. That wasn't Sookie's doing she was exhausted. "I see into your very soul and I know a quick death is a mercy you do not deserve" He placed a hand over Victor's head and pushed it back. His other hand was over his heart. He kept his hold even as Victor's body began to convulse. Sookie turned into my chest. I had to admit I was unsure about watching myself. I wasn't sure what I would be seeing but I simply couldn't look away. Victor began screaming it was a chilling sound. Cohan released him. He fell to the ground. His hands were clawing at the dirt. He continued screaming. To describe it he looked as though he had been driven mad. No one dared move even the winds were still. Our eyes were fixed upon Victor. It was unsettling to witness an immortal be completely dismantled from the inside out. "Wha…what is…what have you done to him" Felipe looked down at where Victor was sobbing and moaning into the dirt. "I can show you" Demetrius said. His tone was matter of fact. He wiggled his fingers with his palm up in an open invitation. Felipe recoiled.

"Is she well?" Princess Eráh asked. She came to stand in front of me. Concern was plain on her face. She had a hand outstretched and gently rubbed Sookie's back. This lot had a harder time keeping their hands to themselves than fairies. I nodded. Sookie turned "I've had a very long night" She said weakly. All at once they turned to look at Felipe as if it has been his responsibility all along to see to her needs. "You are welcome to rest here" he said in a restrained tone. I wanted to laugh at his discomfort but it simply wouldn't do. "Your majesties you are most welcome as well" They nodded. Together we all made our way into the house.

All the guards were ordered out except Adam, Uric and Nathaniel. We were arranged in the Kings grand sitting room. King Kováll sat in the sofa with Anthony between him and Atéyo. Instead of making use of the ample seating the others arranged themselves on the floor around their maker. They seemed to center around Anthony. This was like all their pictures. It was nauseating and it portrayed weakness. Then again when you were truly invincible you could afford to appear soft. Their behavior was strange to the vampires in the room. Sookie was touched and a little confused by what she was seeing. It was difficult for her to see vampires in this light.

I sat in a chair with Sookie tucked next to me. Pam, Tristan, and Bill remained. Anthony told the story of his maker's final death. As he spoke they all wept and reached out to comfort each other. Sookie was the only one who seemed affected. The rest of the vampires in the room watched with stony faces. In this matter we couldn't relate to the depths of their love or the extent of their pain. He told them about the time he spent with Sookie. He over stated the protection I provided him. He spoke of the first war he fought.

By the time Anthony finished speaking all eyes were now on Sookie, who was asleep. In the audience of the greatest vampire of all time she was sleeping. No one could fault her. She had reached exhaustion long ago. Cohan was smiling at her. "She is an extraordinary little thing" I nodded. "Thank you your majesty" Pam came and lifted her from my side. She would help her get clean and find a place for her to sleep.

"I will leave you two to settle your dispute of kingdoms" Cohan said. "Know this I owe him a great debt if he asked I would have no choice but to aid him" Nathaniel's eyes widened. "I willingly relinquish both Louisiana and Arkansas" Felipe said quickly. Cohan turned to me. I nodded. It was nice of Felipe to offer but he didn't have a choice. He was fortunate I had no desire for Nevada. Nevada was indeed a sweet kingdom; three times richer than Louisiana. It wouldn't be worth the trouble in the end. If I took it the territory would be made weaker. No other states within it would be satisfied until I was gone. That is not something I wanted to be dealing with as a new king. On top of that everything smelled of sand in that damned desert. Felipe can keep it. I only wanted what should have been mine. I rose and Felipe followed we would go and work out the details. There has never been a takeover where the loser lived.

He wasn't losing entirely. He had bitten off more than he could chew. If I knew it other kingdoms did as well. They were probably waiting for him to spread himself dangerously thin. Then they would strike. He had been plagued with problems from the start; Victor; the F.B.I; the uselessness of Arkansas; the rebuilding efforts of New Orleans. This was an out he needed. He could save face and he would be free to go and strengthen his base. Contrarily I needed DeCastro to remain King. He could make a worthwhile ally. If nothing else he would serve as a buffer. Logically if anyone wanted to expand their rule they would go for him before me.

We began walking through the house and found ourselves in the study. We were accompanied by Tristan and Nathaniel. "I had often wondered why you did not rise as king when Sophie Ann was wounded" It was true that I could have done so when Sophie Anne was incapacitated after Rhodes. I could have usurped the throne. My hesitation was due to my own weakness. Even more than that I respected her; I was loyal to her. Mostly I didn't want to be king. I was content as sheriff it provided me with the perfect balance of power and responsibilities. I have seen the reigns of King's rise and fall like the sun in the sky. Now there was no other choice. I had always known I needed to take back Louisiana. Nothing else could ensure the safety of Sookie and I. "I was loyal to her" I said. He smiled. "You are doing it for her" he said. It wasn't a question. There was no point denying the obvious. So I disregarded the statement.

We discussed the major details, one being that none of his people were to be harmed. As long as they all vacated my states by midnight tomorrow. Mostly we discussed my restitutions. I was not going to let him live for free. I found out exactly how much his kingdom and his life was worth when he paid what I asked without argument. He would be going home several million dollars lighter. Mr. Cataliades was on the phone as we made our agreement. He would draw the documents and have them delivered by the next afternoon. He also had knowledge of any and all documents that I needed in terms of finances and making a smooth transition. He would make me aware of anything that Felipe was trying to hide. This went on for over an hour as these types of things went it was fast. Mainly because I was making demands and he was meeting them. I was not robbing him. I was fair-mostly.

When that task was done I called my day man and left him a long list of errands. I informed all of my people of the change in leadership. Then I went to check on my guests. They had all broken into several small discussions across the room. Bill was prattling about his computer program. The endeavor was lucrative but it bored me greatly. I went to where Cohan was sitting. "Dawn is fast approaching you are welcome to rest here" he nodded in thanks. I spent some time speaking with them. The majority of the questions were about Louisiana and Katrina. They were curious. None of them had been to the Americas since before the times of the Native Americans.

While we talked I gained much insight. Their country had some of the strictest policies on hate crimes against vampires. The Fot's had no splinter cells in France. They went afforded the same liberties there as they received here. In turn Cohan had severe penalties in his Kingdom for cruelty against human. He didn't have all the same political red tape in his kingdom that we had here. There were no trials or an Ancient Pythoness or a council. He was the law for vampires in his country. Eráh was the judge in the cases. Negy was the Jury and his sons kept the peace among everyone in his command and acted as enforcers (not that anyone had ever challenged them). If I were able to adapt even a small portion of his method to my rule it would be a great step in vampire public image. "It's going to rain that day" Anthony said. I arched an eyebrow. "The day you have settled on to celebrate your accession and wedding. It will rain. We will be happier when announcing our formal attachment to your states if we aren't wet" My eyes widened slightly. I turned to Cohan. He nodded. I bowed deeply. "Thank you" This really was not something I had never dared to hope for. He has helped me gain the most allowances in taking back Louisiana. I held his debt fulfilled. If they pledged themselves to me in such a flagrant way we would be safe from any kingdom. I could focus on rebuilding my state and strengthening my regime. We would be untouchable. For the first time in a very long Sookie would be safe.

When dawn was close we began making our way towards the day chambers. Pam and Tristan walked beside me. She handed me a bag. I raised an eyebrow in question. "For her human needs" She shrugged "They require a lot of upkeep you know" she had a coy smile on her face. "Pam you must explain to me what you both see in her" We laughed because it was hard to know where to begin. I was grateful she was able to help Sookie prepare for her day tomorrow. She had also placed her in the King's day chamber at the very end of the hall. Hers was next to it. They followed me to my door "Good day your majesty" She was the first to address me by my new title. I very much liked the sound of it. She knew I would "Sleep well"

I began peeling my clothes off the second I entered the room. They smelled of Anthony and this very long night. Sookie was lying in bed she was just as naked as I was. There was a coffin in the room but I crawled into the bed instead. She would sleep better. I tucked the blankets tighter around her and pulled her to me. Even though I knew she couldn't hear me. I talked to her. I told her how I proud I was of her. I told her about how lucky I was to have her. I told her how much I loved her and how happy she made me. I shared my plans for our future. I wanted her as my queen vampire or not. I talked until the rising sun silenced me.

**THE END**

THE TRUTH IS I LACK THE LITERARY DEVICES AS WELL AS THE IMAGINATION TO DO TO VICTOR ALL THE THINGS HE DESERVED. SO I WILL LET YOU ALL SPIN YOUR OWN FANTACIES ABOUT HIS LONG AND PAINFUL FINAL DEATH…

I'VE BEEN BITTEN BY SEVERAL BUGS. IT IS UNCLEAR WHICH ONE IS GOING TO INFECT ME…IF YOU ENJOY MY WRITING STYLE ADD ME AS AN AUTHOR. WHAT EVER I DO I AM PROMISING MORE LEMONY GOODNESS…

**HERE ARE SOME IDEAS SO FAR:**

I AM A FAN OF SAGA'S; SO I WAS THINKING MAYBE A PART II TO THIS?

IT ALWAYS DID PISS ME OFF THAT BILL COMPTON WAS SOOKIE'S FIRST. PERHAPS A SHORT STORY TO REMEDY THAT?

ALSO I AM FLIRTING WITH THE IDEA OF SOOKIE AND THE GODRIC FORM THE T.V SERIES?

**I WANT TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN**

**A FINAL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR GOING ON THIS ADVENTURE WITH ME. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT**


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